Hitler Youth Uniforms: HJ Summer Caps--Campaign Caps

Figure 1.--Notice how these Deutche Jugend have alltucked theior caps into their belts.

The peaked cap was substituted in 193? with a campaign cap. Both Deutche Jugend and Hitler Jugend appear to have worn the same style campaign cap. Interestingly the American Boy Scouts adopted a similar cap style. While it was adopted by NAZI-approved nationlist groups in occupied countries, few Scout groups except the American Scouts adopted it. The caps worn by the boys were brown to match their shirts. They had red piping and were worn with both a eagle over the swastica--also worn by the military at the top front, There was also the red and white Hitler Youth pin. On the campaign there was a woven red and wide device rather than a medal pin that was worn with some other caps. Some HBC contributors report a darker colored hat, but this light brown campaign hat was the most common. I'm not positive about the material, but think it was probably cotton. It was normally worn at more of an angle that American Boy Scouts common wore their similar caps. The campaign cap was much less common than the peaked caps.

Chronology

The peaked cap was substituted in 193? with a campaign cap. Both Deutche Jugend and Hitler Jugend appear to have worn the same style campaign cap.

Style

Interestingly the American Boy Scouts adopted a similar cap style. While it was adopted by NAZI-approved nationlist groups in occupied countries, few Scout groups except the American Scouts adopted it.

Groups

As far as I can tell, the Deutche Jugend and Hitler Jugend caps were identical.

Figure 2.--This close up of the Hitler Youth summer caps give a good idea of the srtyle and detioing.

Colors

The caps worn by the boys were brown to match their shirts. They had red piping and were worn with both a eagle over the swastica--also worn by the military at the top front, There was also the red and white Hitler Youth pin. On the campaign there was a woven red and wide device rather than a medal pin that was worn with some other caps. Some HBC contributors report a darker colored hat, but this light brown campaign hat was the most common.

Material

I'm not positive about the material, but think it was probably cotton.

Conventions

These caps wers normally worn at more of an angle that American Boy Scouts common wore their similar caps. Some units had the boys tuck their caps over their belt buckles when not being worn. I'm not sure how common this was.

Popularity

The campaign cap was much less common than the peaked caps. ASt least from the assess,ent of available images, the campaign cap seems much more common than the paeked cap.