The Service Cap was affectionately known in the USAAF as the 'Crusher'. The US bomber pilots wore their service caps on missions over Europe and, in order to accommodate the needs of wearing headphones, they removed the inner wire stiffener from the crown which gave their caps a crumpled and crushed appearance (also known as a '50 mission crush'), hence their nickname. Nothing better expresses the individuality of a USAAF re-enactor than the character of his 'crusher'. The aforementioned 'Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens' devotes a whole chapter to the subject of the service cap. An important consideration when choosing a cap is the range of sizing. Some stockists only carry quarter sizes, that is to say 7", 7¼" and 7½". However, I recommend ordering an ⅛" size larger than your normal hat size, just for comfort. Military service caps are not generally known for their comfortable fit (I still remember mine from my Army basic training days - it was like wearing a crown of thorns!) and if you are attending a Forties event for any length of time you really don't want to feel like your head is in a vice. Another thing to bear in mind is that new hats tend to be round in shape whilst the human head is somewhat oval. The best way that I have found to make the one fit the other is to use a good hat stretcher. This not only persuades the hat to adopt a more head-like shape, but it also keeps the hat in shape. In fact, my several military hats are all kept on stretchers whilst not being worn. There are a few hat stretchers available from online retailers but the one I prefer is from Neal Hall in the USA. Not only is it reasonably priced, even including the usually exorbitant US postage charges, but importantly it can accommodate hat sizes from 6¾ to 8½. The first service cap I bought was from Epic Militaria of Aberystwyth. It was nicely made and well-priced, but unfortunately the colour was closer to dark khaki than olive-drab. Worn with 'pinks' and tan shirt as a Class B uniform, or with a leather A-2 flight jacket, it would be passable, but would never come close to correctly matching the colour or texture of a Class A tunic. What Price Glory win the prize for stocking the only reasonably-priced service cap made of authentic wool elastique that matches their own Class A jacket. This cap also matches Seal Military's Class A Jacket perfectly. It even has the same authentic leather back-strap found on certain WW2-era brands of cap such as Luxenberg. I'm happy to say that they also carry eighth-inch sizes. If there is one criticism I can level at WPG's service cap, it is that the stiffened band around the circumference of the hat is too tall with the result that the cap takes on a slightly exaggerated appearance. Pity, because otherwise this would definitely be the one to buy.
Seal Military have a nice range of service caps in olive drab wool and tan/khaki, both their own repro versions and Luxenberg copies, at very reasonable prices. I have just acquired two of their Luxenbergs, one in olive-drab and the other in tan, and can highly recommend them. The quality and fit of both is excellent and the olive drab version is a good match for Seal's and WPG's Class A jackets.
The absolute Rolls-Royce of service caps are without doubt from the Diamond Clothing Company who hand-make beautiful replicas of four of the most famous WW2 cap brands, Bancroft, Collett, Knox and Luxenberg. These caps are available in the correct shades of gabardine and wool elastique, and in both standard eighth-inch and custom sizes. Be warned, the prices are not for the faint-hearted, but the product is fabulous. I personally own a replica Collett and a Bancroft cap from Diamond and really can't recommend them highly enough for comfort and authenticity.
An alternative to the service cap is the uniquely American 'garrison' or 'overseas' cap (see left). First issued to U.S. "doughboys" in World War I, the hat was called the overseas cap as it was only worn by troops sent to France who were given the French type forage cap as they did not have their wide-brimmed campaign hats with them. The garrison cap was issued in several different guises but the correct pattern for USAAF officers in the ETO was dark olive in colour with black and gold piping to denote officer status; Brigadier Generals and above had solid gold piping on their caps. The wearer's rank insignia is worn on the left side of the cap only, with no insignia displayed on the right side. However, I have seen some period photos showing the USAAF winged propeller insignia worn in place of rank. The best source for this cap is What Price Glory whose version is not only the right colour but is also made from wool elastique that exactly matches the fabric of their Class A and Ike jackets.
The correct forties-pattern officer's footwear was the Shoe, Low Quarter, Russet. This was a plain-fronted (no toe-cap) lace-up shoe in a reddish-brown leather. What Price Glory offer their own version of these on their website and I can personally recommend them. An alternative suggested by Seal Military is the classic 'Monk' shoe which is a plain-fronted buckled shoe and which appears in one of the many photos in 'Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens'. Seal carry a beautiful pair by Loakes, a well-known English manufacturer of high-quality shoes, but if you want something a little more affordable another English outfitter, Samuel Windsor, stock their own version of the Monk shoe in their 'Prestige' range which I find perfectly acceptable, and at a third of the price of the Loakes. Samuel Windsor also stock a plain-fronted lace-up Prestige Gibson shoe which is an excellent substitute for the original officer's low-quarter pattern at a very reasonable price, and thoroughly recommended.
Another popular form of footwear with pilots was the standard russet-brown service shoe (see left) which was actually an ankle boot. Durable and hard-wearing but comfortable, it was the ideal footwear for aircrew. Soldier Of Fortune stock an excellent reproduction of the service shoe which I can thoroughly recommend.
Socks can be any plain beige, olive green or light brown pair. A favourite of mine are the so-called 'Invincible Extra' socks from Orvis - their tan colour is perfect, they are comfortable and guaranteed to outlast any other socks. Alternatively, the Eastman Leather Clothing sell a superb reproduction of the 1942 G.I. olive-green woollen socks in 2-pair packs (see left). I can also thoroughly recommend these for both comfort and authenticity.
USAAF officers, particularly aircrew, enjoyed considerable freedom in their choice of footwear, as can be seen in the period photograph shown below. No two of the group of aircrew officers appear to be wearing the same pattern of shoes, most of which don't look like standard issue.
In March 1942 the US Army Air Corps became the US Army Air Forces. Whilst not breaking away entirely from the US Army, the USAAF did enjoy complete autonomy. As part of this evolution, the USAAF drew up new regulations regarding insignia and markings. In November 1942 it became mandatory for all USAAF clothing to be clearly marked with either the USAAF insignia (see left), or that of the parent Army Air Force (e.g. 8th AF, 9th AF, etc) to which personnel belonged. All A-2 leather flying jackets had the USAAF insignia stamped, or applied with a decal, on the upper left sleeve. In addition, many USAAF combat groups and squadrons had their unit insignia applied to the upper left breast of their aircrew's A-2 jackets. There was also a certain tradition of individual pilots having nicknames or other devices painted on the back of their flying jackets, but although this was generally tolerated it was completely unofficial.
USAAF personnel were also required to wear the appropriate insignia on the upper left sleeve of their shirts. Again, this could either be the USAAF insignia or that of their parent Air Force such as the 8th or 9th, etc (see left). This insignia was usually embroidered on a cloth background.
Until 1942, it was the custom for USAAF aircrew officers to wear miniature qualification wings above the left breast pocket of their shirt when in Class B dress, but thereafter it became more common for full-size wings to be worn.. In my opinion, the suppliers with the biggest and best range of badges, patches and insignia are Seal Military and Soldier Of Fortune.
