Field service cap

[boots and saddles]

Did someone say they weren't allowed to wear the FS cap after 1945 or was it the khaki one,Here is one 1953 or later item # 150287777572. Ray

[guest_000]

the officers of the PPCLI wore the one time kit shop purchased one through the sixties until the the battle dress was finally extinguished in 1970.

PAUL

[boots and saddles]

So what happened Paul? Did an order come down from the powers Saying not to wear this item again or that they (the powers) weren't going to issue this item again,and probally meaning wear what you got until it's worn out. I'm always curious about these so called orders when later on OOPs! here is a guy wearing it. The same way with the RCAF visor cap,It finally died out. While we're on the subject, have the puttee's gone also? Ray

[boots and saddles]

Here is the cap in question.

[guest_000]

I only speak for my regiment. The side caps where private purchased and sold
until gone there after the officers who had them where allowed to wear them until worn out or until the greens came in 1970 and then the law came down from REGIMENTAL HQ that they where no longer to be worn. I can not remember any other regiment wearing these caps during this period .

PAUL

[Bill A]

Hi Ray, The khaki field service cap was withdrawn from use in 1943-44. As with most such changes, some hung onto the old dress items (or attempted to hang on to old styles of dress). The officers in the Canadian army in 1944-45 mostly switched to the beret, but there is the occaisional photo of officers wearing the field service cap late in the war. The qc RCASC officer's field service cap is quite an unusual item, and definitely odd for the post war period. The practice was likely restricted to a very few, and most likely a private purchase officer's item.

[servicepub]

We are talking about two different caps.

The Khaki Field Service Cap was the cap initially issued with battledress uniform. As is usual with the army, they seldom say "do not wear..." but rather they say "the beret will be taken into wear..." and then arrange for the issue of the beret and cease issueing the field service cap. As Bill has pointed out the FSC ceased to be worn in the 1943-44 period and the changeover was not immediate but was phased in as berets became available. The FSC remained an approved cap for wear by army cadets for several years after the war until they too adopted berets. In fact, the WWII FSCs were modified by replacing the crown and peak with scarlet crown and peak.

The Coloured Field Service Cap is STILL an approved cap for all Rifle Regiments as well as for any regiment which has an approved cap and wish to wear it with a uniform for which no cap is specified. This usually means Mess Dress. The CFSC was worn by the PPCLI until unification and is still available at the RCR regimental kit shop as it is worn with Mess Dress. A CFSC is also worn by the RCMP Veteran's Association.

The RCASC CFSC does not surprise me at all but I would take a second look to ensure that it is not the British RASC as they wore the same colours for their CFSC.

[boots and saddles]

Thanks Clive in fact thanks to all of you for that info.But Bill saying the fsc ceased to be worn after such a date don't really say they were forbidden to be worn, It may mean the Dept. was going to discontinue having them made & likewise would not be issueing them any more,however you as a military man could still have them made for you personally. So it looks like you could get away with wearing them up to unifacation. NO? Ray

[boots and saddles]

Yes Clive, my friend Dr.Jim said this could be the case as both RCASC & RASC have the same colours. Ray

[guest_000]

. The CFSC was worn by the PPCLI until unification and is still available at the RCR regimental kit shop as it is worn with Mess Dress.

CLIVE do not quite understand what you are saying here as the PPCLI cap was a one time manufacture and sale in the mid 60s only and never seen again. Worn until 1970 only by those officers who had bought one

PAUL

[servicepub]

Originally Posted by paulbear

. The CFSC was worn by the PPCLI until unification and is still available at the RCR regimental kit shop as it is worn with Mess Dress.

CLIVE do not quite understand what you are saying here as the PPCLI cap was a one time manufacture and sale in the mid 60s only and never seen again. Worn until 1970 only by those officers who had bought one

PAUL

Hi Paul,

Sorry, can't type as quickly as I think (and both are very slow). This line should have read - The CFSC was worn by the PPCLI until unification and {the RCR CFSC} is still available at the RCR regimental kit shop as it is worn with Mess Dress.

I have in my collection PPCLI CFSCs dated both 1957 and 1963, both made by Scully and, I am told by ex-Officers, these were in continuous wear after WWII until unification. I cannot comment on post-unification wear of these as I do not have coies of Regimental Standing Orders for that period.

I am waiting for a coy of the little-known 1948 dress regulations which list the approved CFSCs for post-war wear.

[guest_000]

Thanks for the clarification it is known to me that last purchase was mid 60s though while I was in Germany with 2PP

paul

[boots and saddles]

So they were allowed to be worn is what I'm saying, and what the Defence Dept.were in fact saying was, wear them if you want but we aren't suppling them any more. Ray

[Bill A]

Ray, As Clive indicated we are talking about two different caps. My comments were in reference to the issue khaki field service cap, which I then confused with the CFSC. The CFSC could be worn as determined by dress regs of a particular regiment. Clive indicates RCR and PPCLI. There may be other units. There are other types of headdress that are acquired "at no expense to the public". As a general issue item the khaki field service cap was withdrawn during the war.

[servicepub]

Ray,
A last comment. Officers and Other Ranks were under different rules. ORs could only wear what was issued AND approved for wear. After 1943-44 Khaki FSCs were no longer issued and berets were AND berets were approved for wear. Once your unit had berets you could no longer wear the khaki FSC. It was NOT a question of "you got it so you can continue to wear it". I hope that answers your question.
Clive