NZEF infantry

[PLGr]

Why the two different hats? Was one part of a dress uniform?

These two photos show my grandfather 15520 Pte Edward Albert Griffiths (12th/Nelson Coy, 1st Canterbury Regt). The cap badges are clearly 15th Reinforcements - so the photos would have been taken in NZ in 1916. (A later photo taken overseas shows him in the 'lemon-squeezer' hat with 12th (Nelson) Coy badge.)

[Waddell]

The lemon squeezer replaced the earlier pattern SD cap (which your man is wearing on the left) in order to standardise headwear in the army. It was adopted by New Zealand units in January 1916.

Scott

[jacksdad]

I agree with Scott

although I would note that Its not a 'lemon Squeezer' in the second photo, its a hat normally worn by the NZ Mounted Rifles, name I do not know sorry. there ends my knowledge on uniforms. He looks a lot older in the second photo too?

If you can get hold of the book by Barry Sullivan & Mathew O'Sullivan called the New Zealand Army - Vol 2 - Uniforms, it may give you some help. Most museums in NZ seem to have a copy of he two books.

Auckland War Memorial does.

Some one more knowledgeable on NZ uniforms maybe able to better date the two photos by the belt and hats

I have heard that before the LS became standard for infantry units, all manner of hats were in circulation.

[Herekawe]

It is confusing all these hats. Is not the second hat the "Mounted Rifle Hat" which the army are currently re adopting or going to readopt?

James

Edit - sorry Roger should have read your post more closely.

[PLGr]

I agree he's looking older in the 2nd photo but the cap badge is 15th Reinforcements - so both must have been April-July 1916 in NZ. My main query is whether he would have been issued with both hats - i.e. SD cap and the slouch/felt hat.

Here is Ted wearing the lemon-squeezer hat - taken in England in 1918, probably in January. The cap badge is the 12th (Nelson) Coy of the 1st Canterbury Infantry Battalion, with whom he served in France 1916-1917. I thought this hat may have just been a different way of wearing the slouch/felt hat - but the one in this picture seems to have airholes (or whatever they were).

P

[pukman]

The eyelets in the last photo indicate it was an English manufactured felt hat ,probably a replacement for a lost or damaged hat .The NZEF infantry had a variety of styles of felt hat .The Main body wore the felt hat with the left hand side brim turned up. .After arrival in Egypt in 1914 ,with the similarities to the Australian hat, the New Zealanders turned the brim down in a slouch style (also referred to as ''bashed down '') .By mid 1916 the Lemon Squeezer shape was universally worn by the infantry .The Wellington Infantry, Otago Mounted Rifles and NZFA were exceptions to this rule they adopted the Lemon Squeezer years before this .

S/D or service dress hats were generally worn only in New Zealand when felt hats were not available .But they were worn at Gallipoli

[PLGr]

Thank you, Pukman - some useful new info for me. Seems the lemon-squeezer shape hadn't reached the reinforcements in NZ. Ted (and fellow soldiers he was photographed with) of 15th Reinforcements were still wearing the felt hat in the style above while aboard their troopship July-Oct 1916.

[pukman]

Again ,wearing the felt hat in camp ,in New Zealand went through different styles .Territorials,Main Body and the first 3 reinforcement wore slouch style with the left brim turned up.The early drafts wore the hat ,slouch style /bashed down,brim down,(but some chaps in final leave photo's also wear their felt hats Lemon Squuezer style) From about the 28th reinforcements there was a uniformity in wearing the hat Lemon Squeezer style in the subsequent reinforcement drafts .Things just evolved over the course of the war

Edited 31 March , 2015 by pukman