Is this Navy cap ww2 or post war?

[Eric Zentner]

Just got this for a good price but is it ww2 or post war??



Eric

[bob32268]

Hi Eric:
Nice "Flat Hat" or Donald Duck hats as we used to call them. They were in use in WWII and after. I joined
the Navy in 1962 and was issued one just like it at Boot Camp. I never had the chance to wear it though.
Only one or two naval districts at the time were using them. Every other Navy District used the standard
"White Hat". One instructor told us that they switched to the white hat because with the Flat Hat you
couldn't see a sailor along a road at night until after you ran over him.
Tks for showing, it brought back some memories.
Bob32268

[Rudolf Karl]

As soon as you said Donald Duck and seeing the hat I remembered the cartoon of him wearing it.
Cool story about the reason for change. ; )

Looks like a good find

Rudy

[Eric Zentner]

Thanks Bob also used before ww2 with ship name on the tally but later they did away with the name so they couldn't be traced to a particular ship.
But is this ww2 Era anyone?
Thanks Rudy!

Eric

[SteveR]

The sweat shield leads me to believe that it is WWII.
SteveR

[Eric Zentner]

Thanks steve I think so too the cap was with a modern retired vet hat that read CVL22 Independence.
USS Independence, lead ship of a class of nine 11,000 ton small aircraft carriers, was built at Camden, New Jersey. Begun as the light cruiser Amsterdam (CL-59), she was converted to a carrier before launching and commissioned in January 1943 with the hull number CV-22. In July 1943, following shakedown operations in the Caribbean, Independence joined the Pacific Fleet and was redesignated CVL-22. During the rest of 1943, she took part in raids on the Japanese bases at Marcus, Wake and Rabaul and in the campaign to seize the Gilbert Islands. She was damaged by a Japanese aerial torpedo attack on 20 November, while operating off the Gilberts, and had to return to the United States for repairs.

Independence returned to the Pacific operational area in July 1944 and trained to serve as a night carrier. She participated in the Palaus operation in September 1944, air strikes in the Philippines and Okinawa and the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October, and further offensive operations in the Western Pacific during November-December 1944 and January 1945. After an overhaul, Independence rejoined the fast carrier task force in March. Over the next six months, she took part in the Ryukyus campaign and conducted strikes against targets in the Japanese Home Islands. Following Japan's capitulation in mid-August 1945, the carrier supported occupation operations and helped bring U.S. service veterans home as part of Operation "Magic Carpet". In 1946, Independence was assigned to target duty as part of the atomic bomb tests at Bikini. She was badly damaged by the 1 July 1946 air burst and further contaminated by radioactivity in the 25 July underwater test. Formally decommissioned in August 1946, she was later used as a radiological research hulk. USS Independence was sunk as a target off the California coast in January 1951.
doesn't mean it came from their but could have maybe no way to prove...

Eric

[MySonsDad]

I read the question incorrectly......interested myself in how to determine WWII or post as I have a flat hat myself.


Regards, Russ