*British, WWI, Army Cyclist Corps Other Ranks Khaki Wool Peaked Cap with King’s Crown Badge*
An original British Army Other Ranks khaki wool peaked cap to the Army Cyclist Corps, retaining its correct King’s Crown brass cap badge and matching King’s Crown General Service brass buttons securing the leather chinstrap.
Constructed in khaki wool serge, the cap features a brown leather chinstrap fastened by regulation brass General Service buttons bearing the King’s Crown and Royal Arms. The peak has a green underside, and the interior retains its original brown leather sweatband. Internally, the cap is strengthened by a full wire running around the top of the crown together with a supporting metal band inside the front, providing structural rigidity characteristic of early manufacture.
The brass Army Cyclist Corps badge displays the crowned bicycle wheel over crossed rifles, with scrolls reading “ARMY”, “CORPS” and “CYCLIST”, and is fitted with slider attachment. The King’s Crown form to both badge and buttons corresponds to the reign of King George V (1910–1936), consistent with the operational period of the Army Cyclist Corps (1914–1920).
Historical Note:
The Army Cyclist Corps was formally established in November 1914 during the First World War, consolidating existing Territorial cyclist units into a single administrative corps. It provided the British Army with a highly mobile reconnaissance and communications arm at a time when rapid movement was still tactically valuable. Cyclist troops were employed for reconnaissance, dispatch carrying, signalling and coastal defence duties, particularly in the United Kingdom during the early invasion scare of 1914–1915, where they patrolled vulnerable coastlines and guarded key infrastructure. Overseas, cyclist detachments served on the Western Front attached to infantry divisions and corps headquarters, most notably during the more mobile phases of 1914 and again during the Allied advances of 1918. As trench warfare reduced battlefield mobility, some cyclist units were converted to standard infantry formations for active service abroad. The Corps was disbanded in 1920 as part of post-war Army reorganisation; accordingly, items bearing the Army Cyclist Corps title date to the period 1914–1920.
*Condition*
The cap remains in good original condition overall, showing honest service wear. The khaki serge retains good colour and structure. The leather chinstrap and sweatband show age-appropriate wear but remain intact. The internal wire crown support and front strengthening band are present. The badge displays even patination and good detail. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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