This is an example of a standard issue Royal Canadian Air Force service cap. It was worn by Wing Commander Gareth W. Flewelling (1924-2011). The RCAF utilized the British Royal Air Force pattern uniform until 1971 when the Canadian Army, Air Force and Navy where unified into the Canadian Forces.
Flewelling joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 and trained as a navigator. During World War II, he was a crew member in Halifax bombers flying numerous bombing and clandestine missions dropping spies behind enemy lines in Europe.
Following the war he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University. He rejoined the RCAF and retired in 1975 as a wing commander. He served at nine RCAF bases across Canada, from Goose Bay, Nfld., to Cold Lake, Alta. He donated his uniform to the National Air and Space Museum as a gift of international goodwill and cooperation while serving on Air Staff at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.