Female Royal Air Force (RAF) hat

This hat is a Royal Air Force (RAF) Female Other Ranks No. 1 Service Dress (SD) hat. The label inside indicates it is a "HAT SERVICE RAF FEMALE OA," where "OA" stands for Ordinary Airwoman or Other Ranks.

Hat Details
Purpose: This hat is part of the formal No. 1 Service Dress uniform worn by non-commissioned female personnel in the RAF.
Material and Color: It is typically made from a blue-grey material and has a soft, round shape (sometimes referred to as the "airwoman-pattern folded bowler").
Sizing: The hat in the image is size 54 cm.
Stock Number: The NATO Stock Number (NSN) listed on the label is 8410-99-130-9262.

Historical Context
The Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) ceased being a separate service in 1994 and fully integrated into the general RAF, but this style of hat continued to be used by female personnel.
Female officers previously had the option to wear this pattern of hat (with the appropriate officer's badge) for some dress codes, though they also had their own distinct peaked cap style.

Available x 2

Collection or post

Postage €6