Lion clasp slouch hat
 

Hey team, any examples of this hat worn by kiwis at the start of ww1?

Have seen photos of the boer war that has examples that look close to this.

but I did read that the lads did head over at the start of ww1 with this style?

Oh as I'm not a guru on older hats and badges, does this look correct?


Cheers

Hi Kiwi Ric,
The puggaree looks Australian.

Felt hats with the brim turned up and held by a lion hook badge were worn by some NZ Force pre and early WW1.

Barry

thanks for that Barry, its a shame its an AU looking pug, I was hoping it might have been an early NZ hat

I concur with Barry, puggaree, air vents spread wide and trim around the brim don't make sense for it being a NZ lid, so am leaning to it being Australian and the lions head is added to deceive its true period of use.
The picture below shows a WW1 NZ slouch with lions head, note no air vents or fancy trim around the brim.

Attachment 272057

This one is not dated but I think pre WW1.
Again no vents or brim trim.

Attachment 272058

Thanks Brent, I did do some hunting after Barry said AU pug, and did find an example with prov of an AU hat that looks close was the chaps great grandfathers part of a much larger group" but always hard to tell with these things fella like ya say could be done up to look old while been a much later hat

Thats a fantastic photo! the only Kiwi photo I could find was from the Boer war, but the pugs deff look different, but these looked tohave a different color on the brim edge

Hi Ric , The Lion's head with the hook as worn by Seymour Evans , 43777,28th reinforcements NZMR

Cheers Iain

Hey hey Iain, cheers fella for taking the time to post a piccy! and fantastic at that ;) hope your keeping well!

A very interesting picture for 1917, the lions head would possibly be from his service with the 7th MR, but the vent holes are rare, maybe private purchase, or could be a British made hat.

The use of pre 1911 volunteer badges in WW1 during time in camp in NZ is not that uncommon . Anything went , foreign badges , volunteers , bespoke . I have a photo of a soldier wearing a A.I.F collar badge on his felt hat. Seymour Evan's hat however is a bit of a mystery . I did see a hat on the old MILTARIANZ website that had vent holes and was supposedly NZ manufactured , or so said the sweatband . It should be still there on the site

update photos guys, has me confused, either old hat done up, or heck I don't know, looks and feels old

has a vent on each side up top, first time I have seen that on a hat, one is missing due to wear and age.

Rope looks to have been there for a long time, has modern repair at top to keep it attached to the hook

Here are detailed photos none the less and would love your input even if not kiwi, its an oddity

Ric, most confusing indeed, never seen a military felt hat with the extra top vent hole.
Best person to ask about early Australian felts and puggrees, is Rod who was a member of the old Militarianz forum.:)