Unknown Camo Hat - Please assist in identification if you can

Hi All,

If anyone could assist with an identification or comment on this cap of unknown origin i would appreciate it. Thanks







Kind Regards

MilitaryMan

Could be 32 bat camo

mmmm it just doesn't look 100% 32 Bat so i have my doubts but i'm unsure....:-) Thanks for the post.

That is not 32 Bn. I'm quite sure the camo pattern is French lizard. The cap itself appears field made, or at least made at unit level. The pattern has been used extensively throughout Africa since the 60's. Check out this thread for many examples:

https://iacmc.forumotion.com/t4159-lizard-pattern-used-by-few-francophone-african-country?highlight=francophone

If this was actually acquired in SWA as the thread placement in this sub-forum suggests, then I would offer a guess at this being a UNITA piece. They were quite fond of the French lizard pattern, moreso than SWAPO.

Cheers,

Mike

The cloth and print are consistent with Mike's comments. The hat looks to be medium quality in terms of construction. Perhaps a custom piece for someone with a little spending money?

Steve

mcoleman762 wrote:That is not 32 Bn. I'm quite sure the camo pattern is French lizard. The cap itself appears field made, or at least made at unit level. The pattern has been used extensively throughout Africa since the 60's. Check out this thread for many examples:

https://iacmc.forumotion.com/t4159-lizard-pattern-used-by-few-francophone-african-country?highlight=francophone

If this was actually acquired in SWA as the thread placement in this sub-forum suggests, then I would offer a guess at this being a UNITA piece. They were quite fond of the French lizard pattern, moreso than SWAPO.

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks for your input Mike much appreciated! I'm in total agreement - definitely not 32 Battalion! Print wise, yes French Lizard is the closest. I have 2 of these found at different times and locations - this one being of the better quality, so i wouldn't say it was a totally custom piece but i do agree with the made at unit level comment. I did post it under SWA but actually should have posted it under African - UNITA is definitely a possibility! Thanks again!

Does anyone know if French Recce Copy uniforms ever included a cap of this style?

Hello
With the small part of the fabric that I can see on the cap, I cannot say if it is a French F2 or derivative pattern
It is the first time I see this construct for a cap, not French style
For the material fabric, I have only this shirt who have the same material fabric, not French style
https://iacmc.forumotion.com/t3699-guinea-bissau

Gilles

Ahh, if there is no provenance that this came from SWA, then I would definately lean toward this cap being from some other African nation. UNITA officers that did wear the French lizard pattern were equiped with genuine French uniforms, along with a few other quality foreign made copies of it.

Gilles is right, the fabric used to make your cap is odd, especially with the off-white reverse side of the fabric. Even the Chinese made export lizard pattern uniforms have green on the reverse side. There are so many different variations of the lizard pattern in use in Africa however, that this cap could be from anywhere. I suspect, due to the white reverse side, that this cap was made from some cheaper commercial fabric that could have been supplied to a rebel group, as they usually have limited funding. Hard to say though.

The Recce copy camo caps were pretty much only made in a Cuban style patrol cap, or in the SA flap cap style. This cap here is cut totally wrong to be a Recce piece. Plus, Recce copy fabric is green on the reverse side too.

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike and Gilles,

Thanks for your replies.Correct this cap could come from anywhere in Africa. The material is pretty thickish with the furry white on the reverse side, so perhaps some commercial print copy but yip difficult to tell. I will continue to try reference it and hopefully a picture will pop up from somewhere but thanks again for both you input!

Chat again soon.

Kind Regards
Matthew