Sailors blue cap : 3rd Class Petty Officer R S Cowan, United States Navy Construction Battalion

Sailor's dark blue wool winter cap with black cotton wartime issue cap ribbon with woven gold lettering 'U.S. NAVY'. The crown is lined with black artificial silk and bears a brown diamond shaped oilskin patch in the centre for additional reinforcement. There is a leather sweatband. Tucked inside the front of the sweatband is a Joker playing card. The front of the card shows a racehorse being led on a track. The back shows a seated king and queen, the king with his shoes off and his legs resting on the queen's lap. Beneath this are the words 'Society Note. Queenie and I were invited out last night by some blue bloods to top off the town's smart set. I'm usually bored stiff as a leather doublet at these parties - but these people played cards and we had a swell time. "Regular guys", I says to Queenie on the way home. "Lets have them over to the palace soon for a round of rummy." 1939, ASSN OF AMERICAN PLAYING CARD MANUFACTURERS (EXTRA JOKER)'. The cap has little evidence of wear. After the advent of Disney's Donald Duck character, who wore a similar blue cap, many US sailors preferred to wear their white summer caps with their blue winter uniforms.

Associated with 3rd Class Petty Officer (Baker) Richard Cowan of the Seabees United States Navy Construction Battalion, the 'Seabees'. The Seabees were formed from Naval Reserve Construction Units after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. The battalion was made up of 'builders who could fight' while working on maritime construction projects during the war throughout the Pacific and Euopean theatres. Cowan served on Hawaii and on the island of Tinian, north of Guam, in the Marianas group.