The Mle 1949 Chapeau de Brousse was nearly ubiquitous in France’s decolonization wars in Indochina and Algeria. The hat’s wide brim was favored for being effective and shielding wearers from the sun, and the concentric lines of stitching strengthened the cloth.
The similar Soviet Panamka design precedes this hat by about 20 years.
Badge on front could be private purchase or repro.
Disclaimer: The objects, images, text, and all other content presented by kommandopost.com are intended purely for informational and historical archival purposes. Objects featured come from the site owner's personal collection unless otherwise stated and no endorsement for ideology, tactics, policies, etc. of their current and former historical users is implied by their inclusion on this website. Sources for information, including primary sources, secondary research, and eyewitness accounts, are provided and cited whenever possible. These must be taken in the context of the historical period they were created in. If you cannot handle this, please discontinue browsing kommandopost.com.