Original British WWI Trench Art Peaked Visor Cap As Featured In The Book “Trench Art, An Illustrated History” by Jane Kimball on Page 172 – Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Trench art is any decorative item made by soldiers, prisoners of war, or civilians where the manufacture is directly linked to armed conflict or its consequences. It offers an insight not only to their feelings and emotions about the war, but also their surroundings and the materials they had available to them.

Not limited to the World Wars, the history of trench art spans conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to the present day. Although the practice flourished during World War I, the term ‘trench art’ is also used to describe souvenirs manufactured by service personnel during World War II. Some items manufactured by soldiers, prisoners of war or civilians during earlier conflicts have been retrospectively described as trench art.

Reference books are an essential part of any collector’s knowledge and growth in their particular field of interest. The 2004 book “Trench Art, An Illustrated History” by Jane Kimball is a comprehensive study of Trench Art and does a wonderful job in presenting the historical context of trench art throughout history. The book covers about 400 pages and includes hundreds of illustrations as well as mountains of primary source material and original photographs that document the evolution, styles and construction of the trench art genre. This Mark IV tank being on one of the pages.

On page 172 this peaked visor cap is featured. Although incorrectly identified in the book, there is a description accompanying the photo. The cap is made from an 18 pounder artillery shell with an applied unit button on the front. The original description states that it was from a Newfoundland regiment but after a closer look it is for the Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion, 5th (Huntingdonshire), “⅕ Kings” as etched on the back of the cap. Also etched on the back of the cap is Cpl. Jimmy Oxer 1/5 Kings Souvenir la Guerre 1918”.

The cap is in wonderful condition and comes more than ready for further research and display.