Original World War Two US Navy Officer's Garrison Cap with Sterling marked Officer's Insignia.
No size tag present. Approximate size 7
Prior to the outbreak of WWII, garrison caps were authorized as optional equipment for officers, warrant officers, and chief petty officers designated as naval aviation pilots. Navy pilots wore garrison caps with their green and khaki working uniforms and attached miniature aviation insignia to the left front. Then, in February 1943 authorization for the use of the garrison cap was expanded to include all Navy personnel who wore the peaked cap. Additionally, at this time the garrison cap was approved for wear with the standard blue and white service uniforms and all shades of the working uniform. When use of the garrison cap was expanded it remained an optional piece of equipment for both officers and enlisted men.
Adoption of the garrison cap during wartime was purposeful in that it helped conserve materials, freed stowage space, and made outfitting for new personnel less expensive. The small, foldable, easily cared for cap was a significant convenience to thousands of Navy personnel shipped overseas to busy combat zones during the war; and especially so when compared to the care requirements of the much more fragile peaked cap.
