Diggers and Slouch hats was Re: KNOCKING THE

> At 04:10 1/04/02 -0800, John L. wrote:

Actually the nickname digger has little to do with the hat, the Australians
weren't the only ones use slouch hats, some unit's in other countries have
also used them (some British units, and South Africans spring to mind as

examples). Although no nation embraced it as much as Australia.

The reason for the up turned brim was because it interfered with rifle drill,
you were more than likely to spear the hat on the end on your bayonet or knock
the hat off. Today the Slouch Hat is purely uniform as rifle drill and the
weapons used have changed and the brim is only worn up for ceremonial reasons
(marching on Anzac Day for example). In day to day the hat is worn with the
brim down, this is for purely practical reason of avoiding skin cancer.

As for the term "digger", this was the nickname given to soldiers of the

AIF (Australian Imperial Forces) in WWI, because they spent a lot of their
time DIGGING.

Cheers