Hat, Combat, Tropical | The Army Surplus Museum

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General Information

Name: Hat, Combat, Tropical.
Country of Origin: The United Kingdom.
Camouflage Pattern: Tropical Disruptive Pattern Material.
Uniform Family: No.9 Tropical Combat Dress.
Windproof: Yes.
Waterproof: No.

For more specific details such as date of production, manufacturer, stock number, contract number, size, and weight, see individual examples.

History

The Hat, Jungle, Combat was introduced in the early 1970s as part of the No.9 Tropical Combat Uniform, which replaced the earlier 1950-Pattern Tropical Uniform. It was worn in hot, humid, and arid regions around the world. While the hat was generally well-liked, it was common for soldiers to modify it by trimming the brim or adjusting the crown height to suit their personal preferences.

Throughout its service, the hat underwent little change, aside from being produced in various tropical DPM patterns alongside the Jungle Combat Jacket and Trousers. It was eventually phased out when Britain adopted the Combat Soldier 95 (CS95) uniform in 1995.

Description

The hat is made from a woven polyester and cotton blend, with a tropical DPM pattern printed on the external side.

The crown of the hat is flat and forward-sloping, featuring two mesh metal O-rings on each side for ventilation. Around the base of the crown is a cloth foliage band sewn at intervals, creating loops that allow local foliage to be secured to the exterior.

The hat has a wide brim that runs around the base of the crown. It is constructed from two layers of cloth with a stiffening material sandwiched between them.

The base of the brim is sewn down in a circular pattern extending outward to the brim’s edge, providing added rigidity and preventing the inner layer from shifting. The raw outer edge is bound with a strip of tropical DPM cloth, serving as binding tape to prevent fraying.

The sides of the hat are lined with an additional cloth layer, and between this internal lining and the outer layer, there is a reinforced cloth band to support the foliage loops. At the base of the hat, fabric tabs with metal grommets hang from each side.

Examples

Example One

Example one was produced in the early 1970s by B.D. Hats Ltd and features an early, darker version of the Tropical DPM pattern.

Additional Information
NATO Stock Number (NSN): 8415-99-132-1864.
Contract Number: A/78/CLO/47007/CB(CT)3B.
Size: UK size- 6 3/4 (54cm).
Weight:

Object Number: 8715-826-39113.

Example Two

Example two was produced in the late 1970s by B.D. Hats and Garments Ltd. It is made with two types of Tropical DPM cloth: the crown uses a lighter pattern, while the brim features a darker pattern. This example would have been produced during a transitional period between the two DPM patterns.