USAAF Flight Caps: Theater Made Caps

This is a blog is about the replica WWII era caps and other flight gear I have made.

Flying caps are a fascinating part of WWII flying gear. Like the A-2 jacket, they are still functional and stylish today. I hope to include a smattering of info about the original caps from which my caps are modeled.

The patterns I use are taken primarily from originals in my collection. One of the biggest challenges is to find materials in the correct weave, weight, and color. More often than not I have to dye the fabrics.

All cap materials are hand dyed, hand cut, and hand assembled. Starting with nothing and having something I can wear is all part of the enjoyment. It can be very time consuming but there is a sense of pride that comes with it. I wear one of my caps almost daily.

With each cap I make, quality improves and ideas for other caps come. Blemishes and all, I think they can be pretty convincing.

This is not a business nor an "Items For Sale" site. There is no way to recoup the time spent on these projects. Nonetheless, you might find an item offered for sale here and there. I can only hoard so many!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Theater Made Caps

These are out there but not as easy to collect. Original WWII caps are difficult enough to find, but theater-made gear has never been found NOS in a warehouse. And as they were easily replaced by higher quality caps after the war, few of these crudely made caps exist. Imagine you are stationed in the CBI and your favorite warm weather cap is somehow lost. You can't just pop into the local PX for a new one and waiting for a replacement through channels could take longer than the war itself. You don't want to daily stand the beating sun on your head and face and no matter how laxed the C.O. you wouldn't be caught outside without something for your head nearby. Most units were equipped with a sewing machine and someone trained on it, apparently often someone in the supply dept. What to do? Grab an extra cotton twill shirt or a pair of chinos and barter yourself a replacement. Here are two such caps. One has a laundry number stamp and the other has O2 mask snaps. The construction is quite crude but certainly functional and well thought out. The first has a three piece crown, the second a four piece crown like the B-1 summer flying cap. The bills are quite floppy but did the job.