hat types?

[martin saul]

Morning all I'm looking at a photo of the crew of a sub, a lot of the men are wearing different types of hats why is this, would it be to denote their job/roll on the sub ? The crew photo is of the officers and men of the HMS Pandora; taken at the Portsmouth Navy yard, New Hampshire, America, on the 21st of November 1941 Thanks Martin

 

[slim]

Front row are officer
Behind them are Ratings,
There will be Chiefs and POs in the peaked caps plus also Stewards SBAs and some others not dressed as seamen.
Wartime so black caps would be the norm. Looks like one rating is still wearing a white cap

 

[Chris P]

They look remarkably smart for sundodgers..............just an observation mind

 

[martin saul]

ok thanks, was looking at it as I think the serviceman I'm look for was possible a stoker, some ratings had just round hats and other with peaks and then the few with white so wasn't sure if I could narrow them down thanks for looking martin

 

[Chris P]

I seem to remember that stokers had steaming hats at some point, but it was a long time ago in my dim and distant past, in any case they wouldn't be wearing them for a ships company pic, I'm sure someone will be along shortly to put me right if I'm barking down the wrong hatch..

 

[slim]

I think most of us had steaming caps even we Wafus
Before the beret was issued I had an old POs cap, no grommet in and I could fold it and put it in my 8s trouser pocket.
I only ditched it when I left in 85

 

[Union Jack]

They look remarkably smart for sundodgers..............just an observation mind

Another observation is that the Captain, in the middle of the front row, was Lieutenant Robbie Alexander, whom I had he pleasure of knowing in his later years, by then Rear Admiral R L Alexander CB DSO DSC.

For those who are interested, there is a very comprehensive account of his service at https://www.rnsubmusfriends.org.uk/...loads/2015/06/RL-Alexander-Career-History.pdf the eighth paragraph of which gives some detail of PANDORA's time in the United States, incidentally mentioning New London CT as opposed to Portsmouth NH, and going on to provide a detailed account of the very sad circumstances of the loss of PANDORA whilst alongside in Malta.

If I may add a minor point of order, sailors wear caps rather than hats, and I can only surmise that the four wearing white caps may just have joined from somewhere other than UK, from which PANDORA had come.

Just don't get me started on berets.....

Jack

 

[SONAR-BENDER]

I think most of us had steaming caps even we Wafus
Before the beret was issued I had an old POs cap, no grommet in and I could fold it and put it in my 8s trouser pocket.
I only ditched it when I left in 85

Let me introduce my dark feline friend.....

I too had a cap that fitted in my pocket. It was so yellow I bought a cloth cover for it! It also had a solid brass King's crown CPO's cap badge, which some bar steward actually nicked when it was on the hooks outside the SR Dining Hall in Faslane. Lucky I had a spare - only 50p each from a shop in Guzz!

 

[martin saul]

yeah I'm sorry being of none service background, I wasn't sure if it was caps or hat's I was going to be 50/50 thanks again for everyone help, and I love the funny comments , Martin

 

[martin saul]

Another observation is that the Captain, in the middle of the front row, was Lieutenant Robbie Alexander, whom I had he pleasure of knowing in his later years, by then Rear Admiral R L Alexander CB DSO DSC.

For those who are interested, there is a very comprehensive account of his service at https://www.rnsubmusfriends.org.uk/...loads/2015/06/RL-Alexander-Career-History.pdf the eighth paragraph of which gives some detail of PANDORA's time in the United States, incidentally mentioning New London CT as opposed to Portsmouth NH, and going on to provide a detailed account of the very sad circumstances of the loss of PANDORA whilst alongside in Malta.

If I may add a minor point of order, sailors wear caps rather than hats, and I can only surmise that the four wearing white caps may just have joined from somewhere other than UK, from which PANDORA had come.

Just don't get me started on berets.....

Jack

 

[martin saul]

Thank you for adding the link for the story of the Captain