As many- many- Australians have noted, the name of the large, soft feathered flightless ratite is pronounced eem-you rather than ee-moo.

"Even if both sides run out of bullets... the enemy has one to fear..... It's a digger with his bayonet and a sunburned left ear."

My uncle was wearing the slouch hat when he was captured in Singapore. I wore it when I served with the Australian Army in Malaysia in 1967/68. And now my grandson wears it with the added emu plume as part of an Aussie cavalry regiment.

When you see a soldier or a veteran wearing an Aussie Slouch Hat, you know you are looking at a squared away badass. It’s like seeing a Gurkha wearing a kukri or a Scottish soldier wearing a kilt, you just know they are someone who you want right by your side in combat. A hell of a lot of blood, sweat, and heroism was spent by Aussies around the world to earn that honor. God bless our Australian brothers (and sisters0 in arms! 🇺🇸 ❤️ 🇦🇺

My late father was a officer in the Australian army signal corp and was in Vietnam in 69. His slouchy was one thing he kept from that time and which he gave to me before he died. You're right, the slouch hat means a lot to many soldiers.

I’m English but am immensely proud of the association between British and Australian forces. Regards

Only the History Guy could deliver such a definitive history of the iconic Slouch hat in such an entertaining way. Many thanks from down under mate!

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them."

Our son served with distinction in the Australian Army. I remember my heart bursting with pride as my wife and I watched him at Kapooka as he marched out. That slouch hat, worn with honour by him and all those who have worn it before and since, is a real symbol of mateship and values that all those who serve hold dear.

Proud Aussie here, have you looked at the "battle of Broken Hill"..... it's history that deserves to be remembered.

I don't think telling an Aussie infantryman that he's wearing a Unicorn would be good for your health :)

As an Australian I have of course seen our military wearing the slouch hat but never knew that much about it. So many facts and details about a piece of kit that my Father and Grandfather wore when serving in WW2 and Korea. Thank you, or perhaps I should say 'hats off to you'.

Beautifully presented! As a proud Aussie with ancestors that served wearing the slouch hat in both world wars, I feel indebted to the fallen and also the diggers who made it home. The Avenues of honour which grace rural towns throughout regional Victoria bear stark testimony to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we forget.

It certainty is the most lauded military dress item in Australia. If you look closely at the rising sun badge on the hat, you will notice that the sun rays are actually bayonets, which are symbolically protecting the crown at the center.

I am happy to hear you call yourself a steward and not ‘the owner.’ We are only brief custodians of artifacts and they should go on to other stewards after our time on Earth has passed.

As an Australian Veteran and RSM I’m surprised how accurate your video is. Well done! I’m impressed 😉

As one of three reenactors of 2nd AIF in Russia - i owe one Akubra slouch hat, and I LOVE IT!

My father wore one in British 14th army in Burma. He served under Orde Wingate in a chindit unit.

"The Steward of the Hats"- an appropriate title for you, sir

Thank you for your history video. As a Australian Veteran there are a couple of points to always observe. The slouch hat is always pinned up on the left. The colour is pronounced "kar-kee" not "kack-ee" And you already know that the famous bird on our Coat of Arms is an "eem-you" . By the way. The hat is worn with a slant of two fingers over the left ear. The bottom buckle is always in direct line with the side of the mouth. The chin strap is always across the leading edge of the chin...not under or over. And for many years the slouch hat has been made by the iconic Australian company "Akubra". It is made out of rabbit fur.

As an Aussie I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this one. Good on ya bloke👍👍

Another great story! Australian soldiers throughout the North African campaign wore the slouch hat also, where they proved themselves to be more than a match for Rommel's best at Tobruk and El Alamein. In the jungles of the South Pacific, the hat was perfect headgear for the hard fighting 'diggers.' Thank you for this excellent article about a famous piece of military headgear.

Excellent post history guy, and well researched. Bravo. We Aussies are very protective of the slouch hat but as you point out it goes back further than our adoption of it. When I was a small boy in the 1960s there were little gummy-bear style lollies called 'Aussie hats'. Two for a cent.

thanks for the interesting episode, my sis has a large framed photograph of our grandfather in his AIF slouch hat & uniform - 48th Battalion, WWI, light-horse brigade. On last visit back to OZ, was able to get all wartime records from his signing up papers to medical records, shot twice in France * making sure my American born & raised kids & their expanding families know their Aussie family background.

A quick thanks from an Australian! Great content as always.

I'm an Aussie, born here in Tasmania, but my English grandfather fought in the second Boer War as part of the Lincolnshire Regiment (one of two British regiments that had the distinctive Sphinx cap badge). I have a photograph of him taken on the return ship home to England and he and other men from his regiment are wearing slouch hats (pinned on the left) while his sergeant major and two other men are wearing solar topees.

My father wore his slouch hat proudly during his service in World War 2, and his grandson - my nephew - still does as a Chinook pilot in the Australian Army Aviation Regiment. Both would have enjoyed your presentation greatly!

"for the first time in the war we are fighting men who used our own tactics against us. They were Australian volunteers and although small in number we could not take their position. They were the only troops who could scout our lines at night and kill our sentries while killing or capturing our scouts. Our men admitted that the Australians were more formidable opponents and far more dangerous than any other British troops" Koos de la ray 2nd boer war

9:34 Harry "Breaker" Morant He's played superbly by Edward Woodward in an Australian film called Breaker Morant which is well worth watching.

As an Aussie ex-serviceman, I am proud to have worn the Slouch Hat, as my father did. I have to thank you for the interesting history of this headgear, and enjoy your other videos.

"hat day" is like the best professional version of "show-and-tell"

My great-grandfather was a Sgt Major in the first Victorian Contingent to the Boer War, in 1899. He was in the Victorian Mounted Rifles, raised by Col. Tom Price, so thank you very much for the mention. Australia hadn't yet federated so it was the individual colonies that provided the first troops, but by the time the war ended in 1902 Australia was a new nation. He remained in the Australian Army afterwards, retiring in 1927 at age 65, by then as a Lieutenant in the Australian Light Horse. I've got some of his diaries and plenty of photos of VMR and ALH units taken in the early pre-war years. During the First World War he was a riding instructor and also a machine gun instructor but, much to his chagrin, he wasn't sent overseas due to his age.

I'm Aussie and this is epic

As soon as this video is over I'm watching Redgum's "I was only 19"

Gurka have so much swagger they don't need to pin their hat.

I remember these hats on Aussie soldiers when I was in Vietnam. Thank you for this wonderful lesson.

The story about the Aussies in the Boer war has opened another can of worms for you HG. The story of Australian officer Lieutenant Harry Morant being made a scapegoat deserves to be remembered as well. Thanks for the informative story.

Once again you have done Australia proud, thanks sir you are a true gentleman.

My grandfather served on the Western front in World War 1. He was wounded with Mustard gas and returned to Australia in 1919. He would have worn the famous slouch hat. Thanks for your kind words about this Australian icon.

It's amazing how he makes a subject, such as hats, so interesting. Another great video.

The service badge often called (incorrectly ) the rising sun is also called the shield of swords, or the bouquet of bayonets. If you look closely you can see the 'sun beams "are actually swords. In my time in the Australian infantry it was close to a punishment-able offense to call it a rising sun. And ALWAYS got the response "We are not Japanese" A really great doco thanks

I swear, I have wonder about this hat for years. Even though I've known a few Aussies in my day, it never occurred to me to ask about the hat. Glad to see a show about it. Thanks!

At least in my experience, the first thing you did on receiving you slouch hat was "bash" it. Out of the box the crown of the hat is domed and needs to be soaked in water and set over a "bash" block to fix it into its proper shape. The chin strap will also need to be adjusted as, when worn correctly, the buckle of the chin strap should line up with the left hand corner of the mouth. The ends of the strap have a small keyhole shaped cutout that fits over a metal toggle, once the correct length has been worked out to have the buckle sit where it should, you simply cut a new slot in the strap end so the fit will always be perfect. Our "other" hat is a cloth boonie hat. Locally this is more commonly know as a "giggle" hat or in military parlance, the "hat, flop, ridiculous".

These hats were really a big hit with us gi’s in Vietnam. Of course we couldn’t wear them in the field, only the remf’s could. We had to wear our steel pots. I bitched about it, but one day a spent round hit me on the right side about 3 inches above my ear. Knocked me on my butt, and a dent 1/2 inch deep in the pot. Never bitched again about it!

Your use of the term "Steward" was very appropriate.

Christopher George wore a slouch hat in the 1968 World War II series "The Rat Patrol"

I wore a slouch hat in the school cadets and later in the CMF (Citizens' Military Forces) renamed the Army Reserve. I wore it with pride being aware of some of its history. But the History Guy has certainly expanded that knowledge for me. Thank you. The Kiwis also wore a slouch with a different "bash" from ours. We called it a lemon squeezer. :-)

Picked one up from my Aussie friends while serving with them during an exercise in Brizzy. Still hangs in my living room and brings great memories of my time spent there. They are great soldiers.

Thank you. You are right. We do hold it in great respect, here in Australia because it reminds us of the sacrifice that our soldiers have made for our freedom. Regards, Geoff. Reeks

A great video, very informative - My dad served in Korea, Malaya and Vietnam with the Australian Army. He also wore a pith helmet when he was in the Honour guard for Queen Elizabeth II. We are all stewards for the past and as always you are respectful and informative.

As an Australian army veteran, I take pride in knowing the history of the headwear that was upon my head. You can't get anything more distint than a bronzed Aussie with a slouch hat on. A fantastic piece of headwear. The angle of the slouch got really weird during and after WW2 and was not rectified till the 1960's. There were 7 different designs of the rising sun badge before settling on the current design which says the The Australian Army with the queens crown in the middle.

Love this video. I'm a US Army veteran of Iraq & Afghanistan. A mild correction, the black Stetson is worn as a traditional headgear in Cavalry units, both air and ground (i.e. light, Stryker and heavy cavalry). The U.S. Dragoons prior to the Civil War also wore the Hardee hats as a standard headgear, differentiating them from the Cavalry and Mounted Rifles regiments. Overall, love your videos. These are great.

They are not a bad hat get about 5 to 7 years out of them before they wear out , been wearing them everyday from about 1977 . Keep the rain sun and snow off , knock the bash out of it and your head keeps cooler . They even make a passable water bag . Have never kept the side up as there is no sun protection when it is up . You should do something on the light horse in the boer and krimean wars that alone deserves a mention . Cheers from Australia

Thoroughly well researched and riveting piece of history, thank you. From a veteran in Australia!

Sir, once again a fantastic display of history and Australian history at that. As an ex infantry member, my slouches, we have one for ceremonial and one for service dress, I could not be any happier with your depiction of our history. So very happy to see a man such as yourself as the steward of one of our pride and joys.

The battalion sitting on the side of the pyramid was the 11 Battalion. Raised in West Australia. My great grandfather, Herbert E Tuite, originally from Sydney, joined this battalion under the name Edward Hanlon. He was killed at the Battle of Lone Pine Gallipoli in the August of 1915. Interestingly on a recent trip to Perth, I visited the war memorial in Kings Park overlooking the the city, a magnificent site with a terrific view. At the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra (a must visit for any war history buff who visits this country) he is listed in the Hall of Remembrance under the name Tuite, but at the Kings Park Memorial in WA he is listed under Hanlon. If you walk down stairs to the Colonial section at the AWM you will see a large silver tea service tray given to Michael Tuite, the RSM of the first NSW Contingent to the Sudan in 1888, awarded to him by the mayor of Sydney on his return for being the 'most efficient man in the service'. An Irishman, he was the father of Tuite/Hanlon. Also fought in the Maori wars in NZ in the 1860's. I remember my mother's family (my mother was a Tuite) talking about how RSM Tuite went to Harvard University. On researching his history i found that this wasn't the case, but he is in fact buried in Hartford, Connecticut. Sorry family, we're still just plebs.

I'm a former Light Horse member in Australia. I wear one during ANZAC day and know why we wear the Emu feathers. It is to do with the shearers strike in the late 1890s and the Army was called in. When bored horsemen used to chase down emus to prove horsemanship. They would reach over and grab the belly feathers if good enough and then place these in their hats to prove they could catch them. Thus why light horse wears emu feathers in their slouch hat. Also, the brim is turned up so when in a parade you could salute to officers during these parades. Non light horse don't have the feathers.

My grandfather used to wear his slouch hat to do the gardening after World War Two and unfortunately he tossed it after it fell apart. I was quite disappointed that he had never kept it but, typical for his generation he didn’t see the point of letting it go to waste so when he came home he used it to keep the sun off his head to tend the veggies.

Back in the late 70s and early 80s I worked as a bus driver for the Milwaukee County Transit System in Wisconsin. Some years earlier my in-laws emigrated to Australia, and on a visit home they brought me a slouch hat from Australia, also known as a Digger hat. I liked that hat so much that I ended up wearing it as part of my bus driver uniform since the colors were the same. I wore it for over 9 years, and got numerous comments about it. The one I had was the Australian military Style just like the one you showed, complete with a cockade badge on the side. I ended up putting several different pins on the turned upside, that represented things near and dear to me. My favorite was a pin that my wife had made for me about an inch long of 2 seagulls flying in unison, made of silver. To me it represented the two of us going through life together. To this day I have a soft spot for that hat.

One thing about Felt Hats and Hat Bands - if you don't have a hat band - the hat will gradually stretch over your head until it's down around your ears. .

THG proves he is no slouch when it comes to researching these hats.

Thank you for sharing this video. As an Australian I am very proud of the women and men who have served, fought and paid the ultimate price for our nation.

Back in 1967 when I was issued with "1 hat, felt, fur, khaki" I was informed that the original pugaree was a bandage which could also be used as a sling if you were wounded.

My 93-year-old aunt, in South Dakota, tells me the reason that cowboys roll up the sides of their hats is so that three of them can sit next to each other in the front bench-seat of their pickups.

Thanks for another great video! The slouch hat means so much to those of us who have earned it. If my house ever caught fire it would be the first thing I would grab.

When serving in Afghanistan, the Aussie/Kiwi military members issued "Boonie" hats had pinned one side up. Made them immediately recognizable as Aussies/Kiwis.

Do an episode on Breaker Morant, who fought in the Boer War.

History Guy, You forgot the most famous Australian Slouch Hat of all time. And has been the reason that I have wanted one since I was a boy. On the "great" American television series "The Rat Patrol" September 12, 1966 - March 18, 1968. The American hero Sergeant Sam Troy played by Christopher George and his three fellow soldiers would contribute to winning the war in North Africa. Their Mission: "to attack, harass and wreak havoc on Field Marshal Rommel's vaunted Afrika Korps". In the series American Sgt. Sam Troy despite being an American soldier wears an Australian Slouch Hat during his daring raids on Rommel's Afrika Korps. It is history that deserves to be remembered. It is interesting to note that all four members of the Rat Patrol wore different hats.

It is continuously amazing to me what subject matter I find interesting on this channel. Surprise, everything is!

Thank you again History Guy, it is always gratifying to see some snippets of Australian history on the world stage. In Australia we learn all about world history and are very aware of US history, but I find visitors to the Great Southern Land generally do not know of our contribution to world history.

I currently serve and so do both of my brothers-in-law. We all get issued two of these; one with the brim permanently down, and the other with the brim permanently up (saves having to try and re-flatten the brim after ceremonial occasions 😉). Anywho, these are highly sort after (I’m told by fellow servicemen), by our close allies. Some foreign servicemen just about offer anything for you to give them your slouch, such is the significance and prestige associated around the world for the hat, and what it symbolises. It is as quintessentially Australian as Kangaroos, and the Sydney Opera House.

There is a great Australian tradition of "bashing the hat"; wetting the felt and 'blocking' the hat to retain its uniform shape - it's a serious business. Australians describe the colour as car-key (khaki) and a smaller service badge was also worn on the lapel (though left to dull in combat service, so it wouldn't reflect light). During WW2, Australian jungle troops often took great care to wear their dulled service badges when operating in areas adjacent to Gurkha troops. It was often said that Australian night sentries only knew when Gurkha were present when a Gurkha hand came over the shoulder, searching for the Australian rising sun. Great channel, thanks. In late 1942 , while visiting Australian units stationed at Tel el Eisa ridge near Alamein, Montgomery was gifted an Australian slouch hat which he wore through parts of the North African campaign.

Simply wonderful presentation. And a subject that not too many people would be aware of. Thanks again THG.

Hey History Guy, one of the photos you had in this episode is of a very noteworthy Aussie. "Breaker Morant" He was executed after a court martial for following orders in the Boer war. Great topic for an episode.

I appreciate your practice of amplifying the word cavalry. I am retired Army and grew tired of hearing Calvary used often in ceremonies. Reading is apparently difficult for many.

As a former long serving member of the ADF your description and history was spot on. The only thing I would like to correct is your pronunciation of emu. We say eem-you not ee-moo. There has been many variations of the placement of badges and colour patches over the years. Colour patches disappeared after WWII, and the emu plumes also disappeared after WWI. As a former cavalryman I celebrated the return of the patch and the plumes. I have my slouch hat in the cupboard and a magnificent set of plumes for it as well. The "Bash" has also modified a bit after WWII but has remained consistent since then with the introduction of bash blocks to form them and keep them in shape. Over time the wearing of the hat has changed. In the late 70's and into the 80's the correct angle was 3,2,1. With the hat on the head the space was measured as three fingers between the top of the left ear wear it joined the head and the bottom of the hat, two fingers over the left eyebrow and one finger off the right ear. The chin strap was set so the first buckle was in line with the left ear where it joined the head and the second buckle in line with the left side of the mouth. Having both sides down for non-ceremonial duty came in in the early 1990's. The return of the rising sun badge to the side came in around the same time. For a period there between the 1960's and 1990's the corp badge went on the side and there was no Rising Sun badge at all.

I love how you snuck that uni-corn reference in there!

Good one digger, Thankyou 👌. Loved my slouch very proud to had warn it. . I knew the history but very pleased you shared the story. Great job. Australian Soldiers are very proud of their Slouch Hat.

You mention the NSW Lancers, I was honoured to be part of the modern iteration of that regiment my two Great Grandfathers served in and ended up in the 1st Light Horse regiment AIF, shipped off to Egypt in 1914 and then on to Gallipoli. One continuing on to Palestine in 1916/17 the other coming home at the end of 1916. The NSW Lancers aka 1/15th and 2/15th are now an Armour corp regiment who have been wearing a black beret since WW2. My retired black beret sheepishly sits with both my G.Grandfathers memorabilia from the Boer War and WW1 in my study. Also still have my slouchie from the cadet corp upon reaching the rank of Sargeant... green berets prior to that.

Thank you History Guy. As an ex soldier from 2/14 LH (being mounted in M113s we wore a beret) it was nice to hear history of our headgear which I wore as an Army Reservist Infanteer in Norforce, Darwin during the 1980's. PS we called it's colour "car kee" which was the same colour as our "formal uniform".

Very well presented and explained as usual, I still have my slouch hat issued in 1978 which only makes an appearance on ANZAC day. Well done mate 👍🇦🇺

No hat collection is complete without the iconic Aussie slouch hat. Great episode. Someone should send you an emu feather!

Spent some time in the Australian army, I can say that a lot of effort is put into making sure that there is no slouch in the brim of your slouch hat on ANZAC day! Really enjoyed learning more about it's history, Thanks History Guy keep it up 🇦🇺🤠

Thanks for such an interesting and accurate history of the Aussie Slouch Hat. I served for 28 years in the Army Reserves and still have the hat issued to me in 1960. Your video showed an (unidentified at 9:34) picture of "Breaker" Morant. A man whose story might be suitable for one of your future videos.

When I was in the Marines, the Australian Army came to train on Abrams tanks at Twentynine Palms, where I was stationed. I got to know a few of those guys pretty well, and like all allied soldiers do, we traded a fair bit of uniform items - a set of my MARPAT cammies for an Aussie "jellybean suit", my eight point "soft cover" for one of their berets (still my drinking hat 14 years later), stuff like that. I wanted the slouch hat - since they were cavalry, they had the emu plume on theirs which made it look even cooler. I offered all kinds of stuff for one of those, but they wouldn't take anything less than my dress blue jacket. That's like a $200+ jacket (I don't remember the exact price), and the best uniform item in the world. Alas, I was unable to complete a trade for the slouch hat. It's a major regret of mine, because those are amazing hats.

Another fantastically educational and uniquely interesting video! Thank you!

Great video and I really enjoyed your presentation - but if I could offer one slight correction :) The 'Kangaroo Feathers' (old joke) were actually from the Shearer Strike of 1890's when a contingent of Queensland Mounted Infantry (QMI), under the command of a younger Harry Chauvel (Later Lt General in WW1), were sent to the Gympie area keep an eye on the Shearers during the strike. Legend has it the young (and not so young) soldiers would 'prove their riding skills' by chasing down the fast and erratic Emu's and pluck a single plume from them. They would then wear them as a badge of honour in the upturned brim of their slouch hats. The Queensland Government made it an official part of their uniform after the strike. When WW1 was declared the Light Horse was considered the most 'Elite' of our combat troops due to their fame and reputation from the Boer War. Infantry was less desirable to many - especially blokes from the Bush. When the Light Horse Regiments were assembled in Australia in August/September 1914 the Qld State Government lobbied the Federal Government hard, and successfully, for the 2nd Light Horse Regiment, formed in Queensland, to be allowed to wear their coveted Emu Plumes. Other LH Regiments began to wear the Emu Plumes and Chauval (now in Command of the 1st Light Horse Brigade - composed of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd LH Regiments) and the Queenslanders objected to the practice as they considered it a Queensland Tradition/Honour. There was even official inquiries during the war regarding who could and couldn't wear the Emu Plume and eventually all Light Horse Regiments were awarded the honour of wearing the Emu Plume, but some (other state based units) chose not to during the war. As a joke, the Light Horsemen would tell British Soldiers and local 'Gyppos' that they were 'Kangaroo Feathers'. Today, all 'Light Horse' regiments are mechanised and 2/14 Light Horse (QMI) and other Light Horse and Armoured Corps units still wear their Emu Plumes with pride.

As a hat collector, I found this episode absolutely fascinating. Great work!

Aussies in slouch hats were my favorite toy soldiers as a kid

I am gratified to see that others have picked up on your use of the term "steward''. It is very appropriate.

@History Guy, the individual pictured at 9:38 is called "Breaker" Morant. Definitely an individual worthy of a seperate episode. Court Martialled during the Boer war and executed, an amazing movie was made in Australia about the "Breaker" and really sad tale about following orders and betrayal at the end of it all.

This man can make any topic fascinating! A rare gift indeed. Please demonstrate how to sling a rifle without knocking off your hat for those of us who can't figure out how it goes.

When I was growing up in th 50's those hats were everywhere. My uncles and my Dad always wore them when labouring even when it was too hot to wear a shirt. All leftover from WW2.

The picture at @10:11 shows the waste of the ww1. 90% of the men in that picture were killed within the first days of Gallipoli. In the picture @10:16 you can see four men holding linked hands.They were a father and his three sons. They were killed on the first day. In the top right there is a 15 yr old, who also died on the first day. In the top left there is a soldier who died a day before the photo was taken. His mates took his body so it could be included in the photo. The photo was only suppose to be of the officers sitting at the front. But the enlisted men all "photo bombed" it so it ended up being a "group photo" Our local RSL has a huge framed picture of that photo with the stories included.

Your tribute to the slouch hat is so compelling that I slouched while watching/enjoying it.

Jed Clampett's hat in the "Beverly Hillbillies" started life as an Aussie Slouch Hat The story goes that for the rehearsals Buddy Ebsen used an old slouch hat he had. He beat it up even putting a few holes in it to make it look the part and it looked so good that they used it in the show

Didn't realise the full history, just thought that it was adopted from the Boers. I have my grandfathers hat badge from the first world war and didn't realise the difference from later badges. He was a Gallipoli veteran and would never polish his hat badge.,a common tradition from Gallipoli veterans. A sparkling badge could be the target of a sniper!

Emu Plume, not feather! Also, it goes back much further than WW1. Different units would have different feathers. 2/14 QMI used Emu plumes first and it became standardised around WW1.

Absolutely love the channel. The sincerity, passion, and bipartisan fashion in which you present history is a credit to your knowledge and your research prowess. This is a breath of fresh air in a world of content with a preset agenda. I wish content like this existed when I was at school, and I wish it was part of the curriculum. Always good to see some history from my neck of the woods ad well 😉 Patreon en route. ❤️

This is why I love your channel. I had no idea a hat had such a rich history.