British Royal Navy WW2 HMS Belfast Hat

[wdbikemad]

Sorry - no pics at the moment......but I went to a local "retro" fair with Mrs M today, and managed to notice a wartime sailors cap ("pork pie" style) beneath a stall.......

 

Fine navy-blue melton serge, stiffened, size about a 7, grey cotton lined and Admiralty-issue from others I've seen in the past, no markings or name, but bearing the original rayon cap tally "HMS Belfast".......it's definitely original to the hat, the item being very dusty and with (sadly) some moth.......looks as if it's come out of a trunk or an attic...........

 

£3.00...!!!!!:-D:-D:-D...needless to say, I couldn't resist............

 

The cap is definitely wartime in origin, but I am aware that in operational areas the RN only wore the "HMS" cap band......but this particular cap is wartime period.......so, is it a "best" cap or possibly early post-war...???

 

As most will know, the Belfast was commissioned during 1939, disabled by a mine the same year and out of action until '42 when it was then involved in the sinking of the Scharnhorst.......then in '44 was involved in support of the Normandy landings, then the Far East, followed by the Korean War and onto decommissioning in 1962.......and now (fortunately) preserved in the Thames in London.............

 

Any clues as to dates/origin, etc...? I haven't any idea regarding RN items sorry........

[Tony B]

Up to about 1970 the cap was black with a removable white cover then it went other way round, and a black cover went on for night. A best Sunday Divisons Cap Tally has Gold lettering embrodired on. The day to day is printed. The tallys are quite fragile so you are lucky it survived. It was, don't know now, a bit of a tradition to buy spare tallys to sedn to family and friends.