I think I have one of those somewhere... but I seem to remember mine is a bit woolly on the inside???
Yeah basically its a modified crap hat.
They *were* unspeakably recruit but became uber ally for a while after the sas started wearing them in preference.
We used to cut the bejesus out of ours, basically you cut out the card, fold up the brim, cut off the ears and remove the lining.
Looks like this:
Bloody comfy bit of kit, easy to stuff in a pocket too once you take the stupid brim off
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
aha... that makes sense... I wondered where the ears and lining had gone... 
Turns it into a dpm flat cap/beret really
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
How the hell did the germans fight when they looked like that
Perhaps it was because our forefathers just got the job done and were not really fussed about looking gucci - just kicking fascists out of europe
Looking good didnt really stop the germans getting their arses kicked did it?
feck me chill out troop it was a joke seems to me people on here take things a bit toooooooooooooo serious 
Was joking back mate hence the smily.
chill out 
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
oops
No i can see how it might have looked hostile so i am sorry if it did.
I was smiling and having a dig, just jokingly saying looking good is only so much concillation when you're retreating across russia
on a serious note most folk forget that 99 per cent of photos were taken by army photographers trying to make their troops look bold and heroic on the frontline (and smart) for propaganda. In the field troops rarely looked as tidy.
A classic example would be napoleonic troops on campaign , all the colour plates and paintings show bright redcoats and pristine white trousers in official paintings - in reality it would be sandy brown trousers form months on campaign or replaced when the old ones fell apart and the redcoats would be pink as they used cheap dyes that washed out in the rain.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Heh, that's why I love looking through photograph albums at militaria fairs (if I had the money I'd buy 'em all - you can forget your helmets, uniforms and guns). They show the reality, the human side of war. All the detail and mundaneness of life in the 1930's and 40's. The stupid grins and gurns at the camera, the shabby clothes, the smart clothes. Real soldiers fighting a real war but perversely, in the photos at least, look like they are having a great time!
Oh and to get back to the 40s here's the Waffen SS being the epitomy of smart & militaristic...
To be fair, they have just had their arses kicked by some airborne tommies ... 
