Tag Archives: Lemon Squeezer

New Zealand and the Peaked Felt Hat

As we approach the 100th year anniversary of the end Great War in 1918, a lot of retrospective thinking, review and discussion has been taking place.

One area of discussion is the interruption of the uniforms, equipment, regulations and distinctions of the New Zealand military forces. One of these distinctions is the peaked felt hat, commonly called the lemon squeezer. When and how did it begin? How did it evolve? Did New Zealand invent the peaked felt hat? And which was the first unit to officially wear the peaked felt hat?

Continue reading →

The New Zealand “Lemon Squeezer”

Lemon1

Less well-known than the Australian slouch hat, the New Zealand campaign hat – known as the “Lemon Squeezer” – has since World War I been closely linked to the Kiwi soldier. The iconic hat was introduced by William George Malone, an officer in the New Zealand Military Forces, and issued to soldiers serving under his command in the 4th Battalion of the Wellington (Taranaki) Rifle Volunteers. The hat was adopted by Malone’s unit as it was meant to mirror the outline of Mount Taranaki on New Zealand’s north island.

The hat, with its tall peak allowed “run off” in the rain, proved popular with the Wellington Regiment. It was then adopted by the rest of the New Zealand Infantry Division on January 1, 1916 – by which time it had already seen its baptism of fire half way around the world. Continue reading →