US Garrison Caps - WWI? & WWII

[RT Ellis]

These are all examples of U.S. Army Garrison Caps for enlisted men. When garrison caps were adopted officers wore caps with black and gold, or for general officers gold piping. Enlisted soldiers wore garrison caps with the branch of service color piping. The light blue or teal blue on the garrison caps shown represented the infantry, and the red piping the artillery and coast artillery branches of service. Garrison caps were manufactured on Quartermaster Corps contracts, both domestically and overseas, primarily in Australia and Europe, and "tailor made" for sale to primarily officers. Both winter uniform (olive drab wool) and summer uniform (olive drab cotton) were issued. The label on one of the caps appears to have a lot, or maybe purchase order number that looks like a 1918 date.

Some militaria collectors have made a specialty of collecting these caps with the various different branch of service colors. Here is a list of the branch of service colors in 1942, however this list changed from time to time and with some exception applies to the officers overseas caps as well. Where two colors were authorized the cord was primarily the first color with a smaller amount of the second color interwoven. This list applied to both service hat cords and garrison cap piping.

AR 600-35, November 10, 1941, paragraph 87. Colors of arms, services, bureaus, etc.
a. Adjutant General’s Department. - Dark blue piped with scarlet.
b. Air Corps. - Ultramarine blue piped with golden orange.
c. Armored Center and units. - Green piped with white.
d. Cavalry. - Yellow.
e. Chaplains. - Black.
f. Chemical Warfare Service. - Cobalt blue piped with golden yellow.
g. Coast Artillery. - Scarlet.
h. Corps of Engineers. - Scarlet piped with white.
i. Detached Enlisted Men’s List - Green.
j. Field Artillery. - Scarlet.
k. Finance Department. - Silver grey piped in golden yellow.
l. Infantry. - Light blue.
m. Inspector General’s Department:- dark blue piped with light blue.
n. Judge Advocate general’s Department:- dark blue piped with white.
o. Medical Department. - Maroon piped with white.
p. Military Intelligence Reserve. - Golden yellow piped with purple.
q. Military Police. - Yellow piped with green.
r. National Guard Bureau:- Dark blue.
s. Ordnance Department. - Crimson piped with yellow.
t. Permanent Professors of United states Military Academy. - Scarlet piped with silver grey.
u. Quartermaster Corps. - Buff.
v. Signal Corps.- Orange piped with white.
w. Specialist Reserve. - Brown piped golden yellow.
x. Tank Destroyer Units. - Golden orange and black.
y. Transportation Corps. - Brick red with golden yellow.
z. Warrant Officers. - Brown.
aa. Women’s Army Corps. - Old gold piped with moss-tone green.

Overseas Caps were issued to the American Expeditionary Force in Europe 1917-19. Both U.S. manufactured OS caps and caps "borrowed" from the British and French were worn by soldiers of the AEF. Enlisted soldiers OS caps were not provided with any branch color piping as was the later garrison caps, however officer OS caps were provided with branch of service piping similar to the enlisted garrison caps which has lead to some confusion as to identification of period of use. Garrison caps are often incorrectly referred to as "overseas caps."

The Letter and four numbers that these hats are marked with represent the first initial of the soldier's last name and the last four numbers of his serial number. This marking was to be applied to uniforms and personal equipment for identification and accountability. The militaria uniform collectors first noticed this marking system and have come to incorrectly refer to it as a "laundry mark."