1st Afridi Battalion, a scarce field cap from the WW2 period

An unusual field or side cap of the 1st Afridi Battalion. The dark blue black cap with white piping and top has two small brass general service buttons to the front and a silver coloured badge showing a castle with the scroll beneath reading 1st AFRIDI BN . The lining has a brown leather rim with no maker’s marks but an old printed size label 7¼. The unit was raised in 1942 from fighters who had previously often before faced the Indian Army on the North West Frontier. It was disbanded in 1946 but reformed as the Khyber Rifles with a similar badge involving the castle. Thee is a single very small hole on the right side of te cap shown in one of the images.   sep29/1