In late 1944 the Australian Army introduced a new jungle general service cap made of green rot proof cotton. It was a simple design that was introduced as a cheaper alternative to the iconic slouch hat. This hat was very effective in the jungle, but prolonged exposure to the hot damp conditions soon wore out the felt and they were expensive to replace. The new cap was similar to the British General Service cap, but made of cotton rather than wool:
Although made in a wide variety of sizes, fine adjustments could be made using the cotton ties at the rear of the cap:
Rather than going around the whole diameter of the cap, this was simply a piece of cord between two metal eyelets:
The cap is made of a single circular crown, to which is sewn four panels and a head band:
The inside of the cap has the sizing and the D/|\D mark for the Australian Department of Defence:
These caps were also made and issued in India, although there are detail differences. It is fair to say that the Australian Jungle GS Cap was universally detested by the Diggers who felt it lacked the iconic status of their beloved slouch hats. Large quantities of these caps remained unissued and are available to buy from Australia for less than £20 delivered, even to the UK.