This baseball style veterans' cap follows a style that became popular in the later part of the 20th century and remains in use today. Caps typically include a veteran's time of service or war service, a post where they served, and the veteran's name. This particular hat indicates Thomas Collins' unit, the 6813 Signal Service Detachment at Bletchley Park. A "Dragon 1" providing more information about where Collins served is also noted on the side, along with World War II and Collins' name and rank on the reverse. Presumably this hat was ordered in the late 1990s or early 2000s, after Thomas Collins began to speak openly about his no longer classified service, and that date and his lifespan are used to estimate a date.