In the Second World War, soldiers in many British and Canadian regiments wore cap comforters during field training and while carrying out manual tasks.

4 Commando (and US Army Rangers attached during the Dieppe Raid), adopted the cap comforter as their headdress, because it had no prior affiliation with a nation or regiment.

[3][4] Canada had issued a number of knit headgear items since 1945, though the term "cap comforter" has been replaced with "toque."

The British Army has stopped issuing cap comforters, replacing them instead with headovers[5] - similar items based on Wehrmacht toques.

Troops undertaking the Royal Marines or All Arms Commando Courses at CTCRM still wear them after the pass-in tests.