US Crushers, WW2?

[jonobo]

Hello! These hats were bought because i thought it was a pretty ok price for 2 crushers ($75), on ebay but I don't know if they're ww2 or korean era. They are missing the front and side insignias but look to be in ok shape.
These are the seller's horrible photos, i'll take better ones when they get in the mail.

[gel65]

Nice officers hat but not a crusher, they appear to both be ww2

[jonobo]

What's the difference between a crusher and these covers? I thought at least the Dobbs one was a crusher but i don't know. I also want to ask what kind of insignias go in front and on the sides on these, it looks like they belonged to a captain in the air corps.

[douglas2496]

True crushers should have a flexible peak that can easily be folded in half. These look like they might have stiff peaks. They should have a standard gilt officers eagle with a screw back fixing, and the chinstraps should be affixed with small gilt eagle buttons. Insignia is the same for all branches of the army, including the Army Air Forces. My crusher shown below is of the non tropical type, but insignia and buttons should be the same. If the writing on the peak of your cap is authentic (which is quite likely), it dates the cap to before mid 1941 when the Army Air Corps became the USAAF.

[gel65]

A real crusher has nothing to do with the cover, it is the leather

[Scout]

Didnt US personnel just remove the wire for that softer look in some headwear?

[gel65]

Some have built in wires and others come out, this does in fact make it soft, but a crusher got it's name by the pilots who wore them on the planes they would smash the hat up and put them in their pockets, because the true crushers had soft bills.

[Walkwolf]

One thing that bothers me about the straps is that they are a different
colour than the peaks/bills. Original buttons and eagle insignia
should not be hard to find though.........

[Danmark]

This Lewis Fly-weighter is a true crusher - the bill is flexible and folds up easily. The "crushed look" of removing the wire is not needed with these ( there is none ) and like the Bancroft 'Flighter' these were made and marketed to be folded up.

[Robbo]

The Dobbs cap looks like it MAY be a crusher or at least a semi-soft peaked visor, that seems to be achieving that "50 Mission" look. The other one is just a normal visor cap with the stiffener removed as was common practice.