Pre-WWII Field Grade Army Officer White Top Visor Cap

A very fine example of the white top visor cap of a field grade U.S. Army officer prior to World War II. The cap has a size tag of 7 on the interior, along with the mark of Horstmann Uniform Company in Philadelphia. The interior cap support is basket weave construction. The interior leather sweatband is complete and intact. The visor surface is black wool with the embroidered gold bullion oak leaves of a field grade officer. The visor is crossed by a gold bullion officer cap cord that is secured to the cap by very high quality sculpted side buttons. The removable white linen top shows the expected slight toning of age, but overall the cap is very clean and exceptionally impressive.

The peacetime American Army prior to World War II was a small organization. In fact, in the 1930’s there were cadets who were graduating from West Point who were offered, and accepted, discharges from the military upon graduation because the Army simply didn’t have the ability to absorb all of the graduating cadets as serving officers. Beyond this, not all officers who were serving before the war found it necessary to acquire the white uniform, and so the officer’s white visor cap is an uncommon piece of uniform equipment to begin with, and even more so when considering that this example was worn by a senior officer.