The hat in question looks very much like an old AKUBRA rabbit fur felt hat with the inside sweat band removed and then exposed to the rain.
The Australian army issues its troops with a ceremonial hat of similar colour and appearance, but when new in much better condition. It is know as a slouch hat and can be worn with the right side hooked up or down. These days is is usually worn with right side down except on ceremonial occasions. These were first worn overseas by Australian colonial troops in the Boer war in 1900 in South Africa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slouch_hat (this article has a few errors, but is generally OK).
Old slouch hats look like the one in the photo after a hard life. My fathers WW2 hat which I still have looks very similar (it is missing the internal sweat band and it spent 5 years in Northern Australia and the pacific while he fought the Japanese).
The Australian army issues its troops with a ceremonial hat of similar colour and appearance, but when new in much better condition. It is know as a slouch hat and can be worn with the right side hooked up or down. These days is is usually worn with right side down except on ceremonial occasions. These were first worn overseas by Australian colonial troops in the Boer war in 1900 in South Africa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slouch_hat (this article has a few errors, but is generally OK).
Old slouch hats look like the one in the photo after a hard life. My fathers WW2 hat which I still have looks very similar (it is missing the internal sweat band and it spent 5 years in Northern Australia and the pacific while he fought the Japanese).
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