Monty's Well-Known Bush Hat

[Hoot]

Originally Posted by JBBOND

As the slouch hat appears to have a cloth trim to the brim it will be an Australian made version

Certainly is Australian. It was given to him, at his request, in Egypt in 1942. It is now in the collection of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

[Blackadder1916]

Originally Posted by Hoot

. . . It is now in the collection of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RELAWM30701/?image=1

Description
Australian khaki fur felt slouch hat without puggaree. The brim of the hat is bound in khaki grosgrain ribbon, and has an oxidised Australian 'rising sun' general service badge attached to the turned-up left hand side. There is a leather chinstrap and internal headband, the latter being impressed on the right hand side with the words 'CORONET FELTS PTY LTD 6 7/8 1940'. Twenty badges of formations operating under Montgomery's command in the Eighth Army are pinned around the crown of the hat. These badges include: Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Tank Regiment, King's Royal Rifle Corps, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons), Royal Warwickshire Regiment, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), Essex Regiment, Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment), Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton Regiment (Canada), Saskatoon Regiment (Canada), New Zealand forces, and South African forces. The unidentified badges are possibly those of Polish units.

Summary
Australian fur felt slouch hat presented to Lieutenant General Bernard Law Montgomery, commander of the Eighth Army, by the 9th Australian Division. On 14 August 1942, Montgomery, paying his first visit to the Australians at the Tel el Eisa ridge near Alamein, requested a slouch hat. The hat was subsequently decorated with the badges of many of the units he visited, until it was superseded by a black beret, a gift from the Royal Tank Regiment. Many British personnel had considered the slouch hat to be entirely inappropriate, and must have been pleased to see it replaced. Evidently some Australian troops felt the same way, since Montgomery was reportedly described by members of 2/7 Field Regiment as 'a prize galah' who wore the hat 'jammed down on top of his head'. Others, however, felt that it was a valuable gesture of recognition to the many Dominion troops serving in the Eighth Army.

[Hoot]

One point to note, the Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) were not formed until 1961. I think the badge above the NZ badge is a Greek unit.

[fougasse1940]

The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) were formed on 7 February 1961. The badge on the front in the pic on the Australian site is Greek I believe. Don't see any Polish badges.

Rgds, Thomas.