1945 Rangers Garrison Cap Piping?

According to WWIIimpressions it was blue for infantry..? Would this be accurate?


http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/usarmydress.html

 

eBay Guides - US WWII Garrison Cap Piping Service Colors

I don't see a special designation for "Ranger", and since they were considered Infantry (as indicated by the CIB) I would have to say the blue was correct. The large insigna on the cap is also something I've never seen. Is the picture of someone related? Very impressive photo.

 

Makes sense to me as well. All airborne infantry units had the light blue (infantry) piping on their garrison caps, as did the infantry assets of the 10th Mountain Division.

 

the insignia is the Ranger diamond, when they switched to the scroll insignia the Rangers still wanted to keep their original Ranger diamond so they decided to sew the diamond onto their garrison caps.

-Ranger diamond

 

I must be looking at it wrong, to me it looks too long with flat sides. Regardless, I have always admired the Rangers whatever they had on their caps.

 

The dummy in the photo is wearing the cap wrong. It should be worn and the soldier is wearing it in the following photo. The top is supposed to be crushed down, with points at each end, front and back. Paratroopers had the round parachute patch on the left side in place of the Ranger patch on the one in the display.

Tradition holds that a silver dollar is to be sewn under the round para patch. This gives the added "edge" in a fight. All the paratrooper had to do was to grab his cap at the rear in a tight grip and swing it, using the weight of the silver dollar as a slap jack.

 

you do know the dummy is not wearing the paratrooper cap right? the dummy is wearing the c*nt cap. The Ranger has it crushed in the middle. So your saying they took a silver dollar and placed it in the center of the paratrooper cap so that it's always crushed down...? I'm a bit confused regarding that.

 

Everyone in the Army during the WW2 and Korean War era wore the garrison cap crushed down in the middle like the soldier in the photo is wearing. The dummy is wearing it wrong, and that style of garrison cap was not issued until the late 50s or early 60s, during one the Army's many uniform changes. And that style was still in use when I was in the Army (1977-80), and we called it the cu^t cap as well. We sewed the silver dollar under the paraglide patch (an image of a glider superimposed over a parachute) for tradition and expedient use in adverse conditions. We also crushed our caps down, WW2 style as well, to be cool of course.

Now to answer your question about the silver dollar that was sewn under the para patch; the location of the para patch was to the front of the garrison cap, on the left side of it while it is being worn, or the right side when looking at it. Look at the photo of the soldier wearing his garrison cap. That patch that is sewn on his cap is where the para patch is sewn, with the silver dollar under it. The silver dollar is a little smaller than the patch, thus allowing it to be sewn under the patch. Grab the other end with your hand and you have a slapjack when you swing it.

My apologies in not explaining it better the first time. Hope this helps.

 

it does, thank you. I did not know the cu^t cap wasn't issued until the 50's either. The Ranger patch was the diamond right? with it placed where the paratrooper insignia is in the photo?

 

Yes, that is the Ranger patch that was worn on the left sleeve before the scroll was introduced. Again, I was not clear in my description of what went wear when it was worn. The earlier description I gave you was for enlisted men, not officers. Clearly the above photo that you provided is the way the officers wore their garrison cap. The enlisted men wore the para patch (w/o glider) on the opposite side of the officers. I have never seen a picture before seeing the one above or heard of Rangers wearing their diamond Ranger patch on their garrison caps, so I'd say they'd wear it in place of the paraglide patch. So, by the same assumption, the Ranger officers would wear the diamond shaped Ranger patch in place of the paraglide patch .

 

the photo of the Ranger is off a website dedicated to the Rangers who served during WWII, on the website they say to honor their first insignia (the diamond) they were allowed to sew it onto their garrison caps. -This was probably banned shortly thereafter WWII.

 

Thanks for posting that link. Yes, some time after the war the diamond shaped Ranger patch was discontinued, along with all the Ranger battalions.

 

no problem, they switched to the scrolls in late '44 I believe, I just read they decided to sew their old diamonds onto the caps.