Hi there, new guy here. I happened upon this forum, and it seemed like the perfect place to ask about an iconic piece of Australian military equipment...the slouch hat. This slouch hat has been in my family for as long as I can remember. The story is that a family friend was in Australia with the US Army, and he traded a pack of smokes for the hat. My grandmother had kept it, and when she passed, I took possession of it (I was the only one interested in it) Years went by until I decided to start researching it. According to the color patch, I believe it belonged to a member of the North Australian Observer Unit, aka 'Nackeroos'. As most of you know, this unit patrolled the northernmost territories of Australia, watching and waiting for a very possible Japanese attack. There isn't a great deal of info on this unit, and I would imagine that any piece of equipment related to it would be scarce. I'd be very curious to know if anyone out there has seen a slouch with the orange and green patch? All thoughts welcome on it!
North Australia Observer Unit - Unit History of an Army Surveillance Regiment A search of this site throws up - 2/1 North Australia Observer Unit TD
NT WW2 - 2/1 North Australia Observer Unit (2/1 NAOU) - The The "Nackeroos" / by Betty Boyd. - Version details TD