| Cap, Comforter | |
|---|---|
 Lord Lovat and other British commandos wearing cap comforters in 1942 | |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 19th century–Present |
| Used by | United Kingdom Australia Netherlands |
| Wars | First World War Second World War Afghanistan War |
Acap comforter is a form ofwoollen militaryheadgear originating in theBritish Army.
It is a cylinder of knitted wool, similar to a shortscarf, that is typically fitted over the head and fashioned into a hat. It can be worn comfortably underneath aBrodie helmet, and is often sewn shut at one or both ends. The cap comforter bears no insignia, and can be easily stowed without being creased.
Cap comforters were introduced in the late 19th century as informal working headdress for British soldiers performing manual labour at camp, and as a comfortable undress cap on active service.
Cap comforters were worn during theFirst World War as a warm alternative to theservice dress cap, as the fabric could be pulled low over the ears in the cold winter trenches. Their casual and non-rigidsilhouette made them an ideal item for night timetrench raids.
In theSecond World War, soldiers in many British and Canadian regiments wore cap comforters during field training and while carrying out manual tasks.[1]
TheBritish commandos were an international force recruited from across variousAllied units, many with distinctive headdresses. As a solution to this lack of uniformity, commando units adopted their own practical headgear.No. 1 Commando chose thegreen beret in imitation of theRoyal Armoured Corps, whereasNo. 2 andNo. 9 adopted theScottishtam o' shanter. Other units, includingNo. 4 Commando (andUS Army Rangers attached during theDieppe Raid), adopted the cap comforter as their headdress, because it had no prior affiliation with a nation or regiment.[2]
In autumn 1942, theWar Office approved thegreen beret as the official commando headgear, though the cap comforter continued to be worn, already synonymous with the apparel of the commandos.[3][4]
Canada had issued a number of knit headgear items since 1945, though the term "cap comforter" has been replaced with "toque."
The British Army has stopped issuing cap comforters, replacing them instead with headovers[5] - similar items based onWehrmachttoques.[6] Headovers are not sewn at the ends, and so can be worn likebalaclavas. However, cap comforters are still used by units with links to the original commandos. Troops undertaking theRoyal Marines orAll Arms Commando Courses atCTCRM still wear them after the pass-in tests.[7]
DutchKorps Commandotroepen also wear the headgear until they pass their selection course, after which they are qualified to wear a green beret.[8]
