During World War II it was common for the officers of many armies to eschew sensible combat headgear and wear an officer's cap. This was especially true of the British and the Germans.
The officer to the right wears no rank on his uniform but wears his Service Dress (SD) hat . The SD hat was made for and authorized for wear with both the Khaki Drill (KD) and Battle Dress (BD) uniforms. This SD hat is appropriate for the KD uniform worn in the tropics. SD hats came in two qualities, Officer quality had better leather trim. NCO SD hats had regular trim. The SD hat was popular because it was one of the few pieces of head gear that had a visor!
Besides the distinctive head gear, the officer also wears the KD jacket. This differs from the KD shirt in that it is a four pocket design cut essentially in the design of a classic bush jacket.
Officers would often have their uniforms, even field uniforms tailored for a better fit.
The 1937 pattern web belt is worn around the waist. The pistol hanging from the belt is not visible in the picture.
The uniform shorts are the standard KD shorts. Socks are the Khaki SD which were lighter weight than the standard issue socks. The officer wears the LRDG issue chapplies on his feet. He also wears the LRDG issue sunglasses.
A set of 7 x 50 power British issue binoculars hangs around his neck.
