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    Nice 1938 Police helmet


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    Jock,

    If you find rank badges "painted" then I would take care in assuming that the markings are "original" and as issued. Over the years I've had a number of these helmets through my hands. In all cases those which have had rank markings have had such marking shown on the front (usually above the word "Police") and those markings have been in the form of a transfer or decal (not painted). In addition I've never seen any marked as such on the back of the helmet. For higher ranks the base colour of the helmet was white and not blue.

    Dave.

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    Very nice Jock. A few months ago I was offered one of these in mint condition and it was a late war Canadian made helmet. This was offered along with a gas mask, aslo in mint condition. It was through the son of a vetran who was issued with these but I don't believe he ever went onverseas. His son was a fellow employee (I am now retired) so I offered top end market value, which was well above what I think he would ever get from anyone else. All of a sudden his father decided to keep the helmet and gas mask even though he is, to put it indelicately, a vegetable in a nursing home. I found out through another friend that the son figured that I was trying to cheat him and decided to try to sell it elsewhere. I would not be surprised if I hear back from him someday wanting to take the deal I offered, but I was a bit insulted that he thought I was attempting to take advantage of him and especially a disabled vertran.

    Again this congratulations on a great find.

    Regards

    Brian

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    Guys,

    I doubt I will find any other variations on the theme as I am in Germany, both these found here. The latest is from a broken collection but the rusty one is a house clearance find and makes me wonder if it is a souvineer from the Channel Islands. Of course I will never know but I thought these were civil police items unlike MP or were there civil police over in Germany perhaps post war for re-training? Sadly there were no other military items German or British in the household.

    Jock:)

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    Guys,

    I doubt I will find any other variations on the theme as I am in Germany, both these found here. The latest is from a broken collection but the rusty one is a house clearance find and makes me wonder if it is a souvineer from the Channel Islands. Of course I will never know but I thought these were civil police items unlike MP or were there civil police over in Germany perhaps post war for re-training? Sadly there were no other military items German or British in the household.

    Jock:)

    Jock,

    Following the end of the Second WW a large number of UK police officers were sent to Germany (and former occupied countries) as part of the British Control Commission. It seems reasonable to assume that they took with them British police marked steel helmets and this may be a possible source. Of course your suggestion of a memento from the Jersey or Guernsey Police (Channel Islands) is another possibility. It is a pity that there was no practice of overtly marking them with the name of the town or county that they related to. That said it is almost certainly the case that the outside markings would have been stipulated by the UK Government so as to standardise the outward visibility of such helmets when police were sent to different parts of the UK as part of mutual aid detachments. Finally, yes you are correct in assuming that they are civil police helmets. They would not be worn by the military.

    Best wishes, Dave.

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    • 2 months later...

    Some good examples of the police helmet.

    Here is my example, which I have shown in my headgear collection. Interesting that both examples you have shown Jock have the same pattern of the word POLICE as my example which I have been told by MKII helmet collectors is for female police officers. It would be interesting if anyone has any thoughts or knowledge of this.

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    Jock/Jerry,

    When I bought my example I was given the name of the officer it belonged to, a man whose surname I've now forgotten so, perhaps there is something different concerning the stencil for a PC and WPC.

    Do your ones have a smaller sized liner?

    Tony

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