French Prison Guard garrison cloth hat??? GARDE DES PRISONNIER

**excalibr** · 12-24-2009, 09:34 PM

I recently bought these hats at an estate auction for $5 for the pair (nobody wanted them, so I got them cheap!). I need help in identifying them! They are made of wool and appear to be pretty old. The medal that is attached to one hat is sewn to the ribbon in the same fashion as the WWII military medals. I'm fairly certain the "1972" does not represent the year (I hope not anyway). I'm from Missouri and bought these in Missouri, so maybe the "MO" stands for Missouri?? I THINK they are WWII era hats, but that is why I'm posting them here--to get the experts' opinions!! Thanks in advance and hopefully I can get some info on these two hats!

**Adrian Stevenson** · 12-26-2009, 01:30 PM

I have a feeling this will be some kind of Veterans association caps.

What does the label say?

Cheers, Ade.

**stuka f** · 12-26-2009, 02:07 PM

Post war and French veteran association to me.
Clearly the "bleue horizon" and the French "callot" style.
1972 is a date to me , probably made for a commomoration.
MO could stand for "mobilisation", I don't know if some soldiers were already called in for duty in 1938..??Most French when speaking about the war ,do speak about the great mobilisation ( la grande mobilisation).
38 could also stand for the region in France, every region in France as is number, they do come on liscense plates , telefone numbers and so on...

**excalibr** · 12-26-2009, 05:06 PM

The labels inside the hats are hard to read, but I believe it is something about being "union made" and there is some kind of shield or something inside a circle. It is hard to make out. I don't know about the medal with the blue ribbon. It has a soldier (French I'm assuming) in a Revolutionary War style looking uniform standing outside a train car. The train car has a horse with another soldier and the words "No Hommes a Chevaux" ??? on the outside of the boxcar. I think that is what is reads--hard to see. I don't even know if the medal is directly related to the hat or if it is just a medal that someone put on the hat at some point in time.... Thanks for your input and hopefully this explaiantion will help with determining what these hats really are! :-)

Bill

**Steven M** · 12-26-2009, 06:51 PM

The 40 and 8 Society was a post-WW1 US veteran's group formed in 1920. "40 and 8" refers to what was marked on the French train cars in which US soldiers were transported. The cars carried 40 men or 8 horses. I believe this organization is still a sub-chapter of the American Legion.

http://www.fortyandeight.org/

Membership is by invitation for members of the American Legion who have shown exemplary service. I have one of these medals in one of my aviation groupings - Howard C. Eales. Here is his example seen in the upper right corner of the photo...sadly, time has not been kind to the ribbon and pin fixture:

**excalibr** · 12-26-2009, 08:50 PM

Great! That is exactly what I have. I visited that website and found the hats I have as well. Thanks again for the info. I assume the 38 MO. is for Missouri, correct? Does the 1972 stand for the year 1972 or something else? There are a few small moth nips in the hats, but they are in otherwise good shape. Thanks again.