Hitler Youth Uniforms: Headwear--Peaked Cap

Figure 1.--All the boys in this HJ unit wear the peaked cap. The photograph would have been taken in the early 30s before the HJ becane a mass organization.

The Hitler Youth has had different styles of caps. There were was a military cap with a leather bill and a forage-style cap. The military cap with a bill appears to have been worn in the early years. Uniform items in the early years were not as standardized as they became later. This is the first standard headwear style we first notice the boys wearing, We are not sure when it was first adopted. We see boys wearing before the NAZIs seized power (1933). We also note it being worn in 1934. We believe the HJ changed to the capaign style cap in 1935, but we do not yet have full details. I'm not sure why the HJ discontinued the peaked cap. We suspect cost may have been a factor. It had more of a military look, but I don't think that would have bothered the HJ leadership. The cap was brown to match the shirt. We have seen black or dark blue caps. (It is difficult to tell the difference in black and white photographs.) These may have been for the Marine Division, but we are not sure. The HJ was a fairly small organization until a year or two after the NAZIs seized power. Then the HJ became a mass organization. As a result, only a small portion of HJ photographs show the boys wearing this type of cap.

Style

The Hitler Youth has had different styles of caps. There were was a military cap with a leather bill and a forage/campaign style cap. The peaked cap was simililar in style to what some SA men wore in the early years. The Hj was founded as a unit of the SA. The HJ never adopted the kepi style rounded cap that the SA eventually adopted.

Chronology

The military cap with a bill appears to have been worn in the early years. Uniform items in the early years were not as standardized as they became later. This is the first standard headwear style we first notice the boys wearing, We are not sure when it was first adopted. We see boys wearing before the NAZIs seized power (1933). We also note it being worn in 1934. We believe the HJ changed to the capaign-style cap in 1935, but we do not yet have full details.

Discontinued

I'm not sure why the HJ discontinued the peaked cap. We suspect cost may have been a factor. It had more of a military look, but I don't think that would have bothered the HJ leadership. Cost is more likely the major factor. The HJ became a mass organization and an expensive uniform item would discourage some parents from buying the uniform or at least buying the complete uniform. Quite a number of parents were not happy about having their children join the HJ as was.

Color

The cap was brown to match the shirt. We have, however, seen black or dark blue caps. (It is difficult to tell the difference in black and white photographs.) These may have been for the Marine Division, but we are not sure. We only see a few of these dark caps. Most of the photographs we see show the boys wearing the brown caps.

Prevalence

The HJ was a fairly small organization until a year or two after the NAZIs seized power. Then the HJ became a mass organization. As a result, only a small portion of HJ photographs show the boys wearing this type of cap.