WWII USAAF Officer's Khaki "The Flight Weight" Crusher Cap Identified to Lt. Gerald H. Howe (Size 7 1/8)

Description

This original WWII U.S. Army Air Force officer's crusher cap is inscribed with its original owner's name and serial number, "Lt. Gerald H. Howe, O-931042". View the Veteran's Information section for more details regarding Lt. Howe's life and military service. The cap's headliner is decorated with a propeller and was marketed as "The Flight Weight, Hand-Tailored". It is constructed of a summer weight khaki cotton and features a russet brown leather chinstrap and "crushable" visor. The front is emblazoned with a gold-plated brass oversized officer's device. Safety pinned to the cap's headband is a scrap of textile marked "144, 4320". Beneath the headband is a size tag of 7 1/8.

Provenance

Private Collection, Milton, Florida

Condition Report

This cap is in very good condition, with minimal signs of wear.

Veteran's Information

Gerald Hundley Howe was born on November 23, 1917, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On September 5, 1941, just a few months before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Howe volunteered for service in the Royal Canadian Air Force. As a pre-war civilian pilot, Howe was in a unique position to serve as a flight instructor. Before war's end on March 15, 1945, Howe left the RCAF and enlisted in the USAAF, where he was immediately commissioned as a First Lieutenant. It was likely at this time that he acquired this crusher cap. Made available to the new owner below are over 250 pages from the National Archives extensively detailing Howe's life and military service.

• FOIA Research Results