Slouch hat
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A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt hat with a chinstrap most commonly worn as part of a military uniform. In the United States the hat is also know as a Kossuth hat. The distinctive Australian slouch hat has one side of the brim turned up or pinned to the side of the hat in order to allow a rifle to be slung over the shoulder. While this style of hat did not originate in Australia, it has become associated with the Australian military since World War I, when it was manufactured by the Akubra company for the army. This slouch hat is still worn by the Australian military today.
The slouch hat is also associated with the Gurkha regiments of the British Army and Indian Army (formerly the British Indian Army) and is still worn by the Gurkhas; the hat is no longer worn on active service. The 2nd Gurkha Rifles became the first Gurkha regiment to adopt the slouch hat when they were issued with the Australian variant in 1901. The Gurkha hat is created by fusing two hats into one to make the hat more rigid and is worn at an angle, tilted to the right.
The Chindits and other units of the British Fourteenth Army, who fought against the Japanese in the Far East during World War II, also became associated with the slouch hat (also known as the bush hat in the British Army). The slouch hat was also used by colonial units of the British Empire, including the Royal West African Frontier Force.
A Unit Colour Patch is also worn by members of the Australian Army on their Slouch Hat to indicate which unit they are from.
Slouch Hat In Australia
Australian Defense Force (ADF) personell regard the slouch hat as a parade item of dress, and although army standing orders for dress allow it to be worn in the field, most soldiers do not, as it is almost a 'Disgrace' to get the hat dirty or allow it to get unneccicearrily dirty. Also, the australian slouch hat (also know as a KFF, or Khaki Fur Felt) is worn with a seven band puggaree, with seven bands, representing the 7 states and territories in australia, which on the right side, has the corps patch of the soldier. The KFF is worn with the brim turned up on ceremonial dress only, when the soldier is in normal dress (Mess Dress or Standard Dress) they wear the hat with the brim flat. The Slouch Hat worn in the ADF is one of the army 'Trademarks', but the Australian Air Force is known to wear the hat in some dress uniforms, but is almost exclusivley worn by the Australian Army.Trivia
Jack Kerouac did a poem called "I Had a Slouch Hat Too One Time."External links
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