1st Hussars Beret - Original WW2?

[student of history]

Hi Gents,

I've recently acquired this Canadian 1st Hussars beret. The seller purports that it is manufactured in 1944 (given the M stamp) but I have since come to read (thanks to a the posts of other members here) that berets manufactured in 1954 may also be stamped in a similar fashion. Is there any way to truly determine when this piece was produced? For obvious reasons, I'm sincerely hoping that it's wartime...

Based on the outline of the badge on the fabric, it appears that the badge has been in place for a long time, but another question I have is how common it was for Canadians to use British made berets?

Thanks in advance!

Chris

[JohnF]

I would say ww2 or 1944