Imperial Bushman Contingent slouch hat ?

[natal01]

I have been buying an old collection of badges and buttons recently. In it was this rather unusual slouch hat badge. I at first thought that it was a fox head, but as it was accompanied by and old card which labeled the item as an Imperial Bushman Contingent slouch hat badge, I guess that it is a kangaroo.
Has anyone seen something like this before, and is it an official issue, or some Aussie's stab at a bit of individuality ?
Many thanks
Mike

[Donny B.]

G'day Mike,

I guess my responses seem to lack credibility but I shall put in my six penneth worth anyway.

This item looks to me like a device to which the upturned brim of a slouch hat is clipped. I have seen pictures of similar devices, though not a kangaroo head, but I have not had an opportunity to look at the rear of one so as to notice that long screw.

In his book on Australian Colonial badges, on page 201, Rick Grebert illustrates a Victorian Mounted Rifles lion's head slouch hat hook. He says," The lions head was used to hold the right hand upturned brim of the slouch hat. It was also used by the Tasmanian infantry. The hook was also used on the top rear of helmets to hold the chin scales when not in use."

Donny B.

[slick_mick]

I agree with Donny. I think it is device to hold the upturned slouch hat brim.

Mick

[natal01]

Thanks, Mick & Donny B,,
I guess my question is , ' was this official, semi-official or just some individual's bit of hat furniture ?
Íts interesting that the VMR used a lion as a hook, I would have thought a kangaroo was more Australian.
Regards
Mike

[Donny B.]

A little more research has revealed the following information for you.

Whether it was "official" or not I don't know but it certainly appears to be a bit more than one man's ostentatious display of individuality.

I am not good with these scanning things. I trust that the photo is adequate.

Donny B.

[Lancer 17]

G'day guys

I have 2 of the lions heads but have not seen the kangaroo's head, maybe Coastwatcher can fill us in.

Re lions heads, I have 2 different types, one with 2 blades what open east and west, the other with a screw post. I am told that the first is a VMR hat badge and the 2nd is off a helmet as used by the Vic Artillery. I believe that the Victorian Rangers (infantry) also used a lions head but the blades opened north and south on their bush hats which also turned up on the right, however I have not seen one.

Hope that this helps.

Cheers

Phil.

[Chuka]

Gents,

Re: the Kangaroo heads. I have seen a couple of these over the years. There is one in a private collection and I own one myself. Both are identical to the one in the original post with one ear fwd , one ear back.

Cheers
Regards
Chuka

[Eddie Parks]

I thinks those 'roos are just magic, but I am not sure I'd want that long screw inside my hat.
Eddie

[Investment]

Hi,

I've attached some images of my two Lion's heads.

I assume there were different makers who produced these Lion's heads.

My question is why one would be made of brass and the other made of what looks like black oxidised copper.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Many thanks,

Invest

Originally Posted by Lancer 17

G'day guys

I have 2 of the lions heads but have not seen the kangaroo's head, maybe Coastwatcher can fill us in.

Re lions heads, I have 2 different types, one with 2 blades what open east and west, the other with a screw post. I am told that the first is a VMR hat badge and the 2nd is off a helmet as used by the Vic Artillery. I believe that the Victorian Rangers (infantry) also used a lions head but the blades opened north and south on their bush hats which also turned up on the right, however I have not seen one.

Hope that this helps.

Cheers

Phil.

[badgecollector]

hi invest
i believe these lion heads were also the device situated on the side of some british blue cloth or home service helmets to hold the chin strap.
bc

[Donny B.]

Originally Posted by badgecollector

hi invest
i believe these lion heads were also the device situated on the side of some british blue cloth or home service helmets to hold the chin strap.
bc

I believe I have seen them used for that purpose.

In his book "Australian Military Uniforms 1800-1982" Monty Wedd describes a similar lion's head device as a keeper for a chain chin strap worn on the side of a busby. His is only a drawing though, and does not appear to have such a long hook.

[Lancer 17]

G'day Invest

Thanks posting your 2 Lions heads, sorry but Ive never seen a blackened brass one before and have no idea where or when it was used.

As I have said previously, the brass Lion's head was used by both the Victorian Mounted Rifles and the Victorian Rangers (infantry), both of which were formed in 1884. Their "Bush Hat" was turned up on the right, not the left as in a Slouch hat and they wore no badge on the turned up brim. The first pattern of Rising Sun was introduced in / after 1901 and was worn by the Australian Commonwealth Horse after Federaition (in 1901)

Regards

Phil.

[Investment]

Some additional information below, which I have been provided with regarding lion heads.

The lion heads were used to clip up the chin chain on shakos and helmets.

The metal type depends on what shako they were used on – brass for regulars, white metal for volunteers, black for rifle volunteers.

They were also used to hold up the brim on some slouch hats (British and Australian) late 1800’s early 1900’s. Because they come from shakos, they normally have a nut and bolt fitting.

However, the Victorian Volunteers (Australian) used a slouch hat hook which was designed specifically to be used on the slouch hat which had blade fittings instead of nut and bolt.

[Lancer 17]

Hi Invest,

As far as Australian uniform pre Federation / 1901 is that each state was an indipendant Colony, each colony had its own defence forces which were indipendant of each other and had their own Dress regulations, therefore generalisations can not be made in regard to dress regulations and badges.

In the case of Victoria, the Victorian Mounted Rifles (VMR) and the Victorian Rangers (VR, infantry) were raised in 1884, each had a similar uniform but different facing colours and a different cut to the collar ends, also the VMR wore leather leggings where as the VR had trousers with straight legs to ankle level. They wore VMR and VR brass shoulder titles but no main hat badge. Both did however wear a brass lions head badge with an up turned hook, this was to hold a small cord that came from under the leather sweat band on the inside of the hat, this was pulled up and hooked onto the metal hook on the lions head to hold the right side of the brim up. It was nothing to do with chin straps.

The Bush Hat was a felt hat with a more rounded crown than a traditional Slouch hat which has a "Bash" in the crown. It had a thick triple plaited puggari around the crown. The 2 brass blades on the lions head passed through the felt of the crown of the hat and were splayed out on the inside of the crown to hold it in place.

This was the only function of the lions head badge on the Victorian Bush hat.

The Dress regulations for both the VR of 1893 and the VMR of 1897 state :- "Felt hat - Khaki soft felt, with three-plait puggaree of the same colour, hat looped up at the right side with cord as the same colour as hat, and fastened with lion's head badge in brass." There is no mention of a chin strap for either regiment. Quoted from, Uniforms of the Australian Colonies by Alfred Festberg and Barry Videon published in 1971.

I hope that this will clear up this matter as far as Victorian Pre Federation / Colonial troops are concerned.

Regards

Phil.

[Lancer 17]

Hi Invest,

As far as Australian uniform pre Federation / 1901 is that each state was an indipendant Colony, each colony had its own defence forces which were indipendant of each other and had their own Dress regulations, therefore generalisations can not be made in regard to dress regulations and badges.

In the case of Victoria, the Victorian Mounted Rifles (VMR) and the Victorian Rangers (VR, infantry) were raised in 1884, each had a similar uniform but different facing colours and a different cut to the collar ends, also the VMR wore leather leggings where as the VR had trousers with straight legs to ankle level. They wore VMR and VR brass shoulder titles but no main hat badge. Both did however wear a brass lions head badge with an up turned hook, this was to hold a small cord that came from under the leather sweat band on the inside of the hat, this was pulled up and hooked onto the metal hook on the lions head to hold the right side of the brim up. It was nothing to do with chin straps.

The Bush Hat was a felt hat with a more rounded crown than a traditional Slouch hat which has a "Bash" in the crown. It had a thick triple plaited puggari around the crown. The 2 brass blades on the lions head passed through the felt of the crown of the hat and were splayed out on the inside of the crown to hold it in place.

This was the only function of the lions head badge on the Victorian Bush hat.

The Dress regulations for both the VR of 1893 and the VMR of 1897 state :- "Felt hat - Khaki soft felt, with three-plait puggaree of the same colour, hat looped up at the right side with cord as the same colour as hat, and fastened with lion's head badge in brass." There is no mention of a chin strap for either regiment. Quoted from, Uniforms of the Australian Colonies by Alfred Festberg and Barry Videon published in 1971.

I hope that this will clear up this matter as far as Victorian Pre Federation / Colonial troops are concerned.

Regards

Phil.