Swainys Boy

I have a few truncheons and tip staves from my late Fathers collection, but one particular one that I am proud to have pick up since his passing is a Christ Church of Surrey tip staff once belonging to Constable H Hunter. It is solid brass and unscrews in three places, it's weight is 333 grams and 8.5" in length. The rest of the collection is found here http://alan.swain.me.uk/truncheons.htm

Hello Dave, Thank you for that interesting and valuable info, the badge will go on ebay at the next £1 end of sale fees offer. Interestingly the larger badge is identical in size and shape to one of my Isle of Ely badges I wonder if the manufactures had a mould that many badges were made from with adjustments to centre coat of arms and the text around wreath.

I also started collecting as a kid and it was general militaria, most of which has now gone to a new home. However, when my late Father who collected police badges, passed away I carried on collecting for him. The bulk of his badges that covered a large area of the UK, were sold off to help with a bridging loan to purchase a house next door to us, but he kept his local to him, badges (Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and all the towns within these Counties. I never took a dedicated interest in his badges like he did, but when he left them to me they became mine and the collecting bug along with them. Collecting for him kinda keeps him alive somehow for when I make a purchase of something that he did not have, I think about how thrilled he would have been. It has been fun over the last nearly four years since his passing, picking up some badges quite cheaply and on the other hand paying some horrendous prices too. I have completely re-arranged the boards that they are mounted on and have truly made it my own personal collection. I know he would be only too pleased!

Hi Gents... I have these badges and a button that I'm letting go but wanted to know a little more of the rarity of such. Can anyone... Dave? Ross Mather?? shine any light on the force size etc. What sort of interest should a badge like this fetch?

Hi Dave, Thanks for your comment. Before I took a picture of this buckle, I had only just polished it which is why it doe's indeed look like chrome, but it is in fact white metal. Only a short while after my original post I then thought to look at Cyril Kent Simms fine collection of belt buckles (http://alan.swain.me.uk/reference2.htm boards 53 & 57) and (http://alan.swain.me.uk/reference.htm board 34) these excellent examples in his collection gives me good insight into how police belt buckles were. With my example, with the missing 'male' part I wonder if a 'make up' is acceptable. I have a spare white metal Grimsby Borough helmet plate centre as seen in picture, the centre part of this... centre, is exactly the size of the female part of buckle. I'm very tempted to make up something to replace what would be a very hard part to find original part If I could find a donor male part. Do you think this would look authentic if the original was to have been a coat of arms as opposed to having a crown?

My late Fathers 1951 Peterborough Combined Police helmet and a Peterborough City Police Ceremonial Police helmet.

Hi, I have a Grimsby Police Belt Buckle, but only one half of it. Can anyone throw any light on what the missing part should be like? Crown, Coat of Arms??

Another Staffordshire Police Training Photograph with Dad on the back row in the middle. Interestingly most cap badges as well as being Staffordshire, have the Queens Crown but only three including Dads City of Peterborough cap badge, still have the old Kings Crown badges. Peterborough never had a Queens Crown cap badge. This would date the photo to around and between 1952 to 1965 when Dads badge would have then been replaced with the Mid Anglia Constabulary badge. Again... Names to faces anyone?

Hello Brian, Any additions to your Staffordshire collection? Here is an interesting Staffordshire Police Training photograph with my late father who passed away a year ago today, almost to the hour. He is seen here in the middle row, the forth from the left and has the new open neck type tunic. (PC 80 Alan E Swain) I guessed this was pre 1965 due to the City of Peterborough cap badge he is wearing. It would be very interesting to know if any of these lads & gals are still around, and to put names to faces. Cheers! Laurence (Swainys Boy) http://alan.swain.me.uk/

Thanks for your input, looks like there is to be a long wait for someone to come along, eventually. There may well be another one of these badges out there, no.2? and someone will chime in if & when they see this one. It's funny that over the last few days I had sold a couple of Trinidad badges, Star of David types which is why I could not seem to accept that this 'chain' badge is not from there.

Hi there, Got a badge here that's been discussed a few times among the experts but no one could throw any light on it's identification. It had been suggested that it might be a British Trinidad Constabulary badge but I'm in doubt about that, it doe's not look anything like the usual police badges anywhere in the World. The chain around the outside suggests some tram corporation. Any ideas? Measures: 65mm wide x 52mm high. Just a little more detail here... http://alan.swain.me.uk/police-odds-ends.htm

Thanks for your comments Brian, Dave. An electronic mail is on its way to the West Midlands Museum. I'll update when I hear from them. Cheers Laurence.

I also have a Birmingham Special Constables truncheon like Mervyn's on post 4, but not in such good condition. However, mine has SC 2491 stamped on the side, I guess this identifys who the truncheon belonged to. Where can I find out the name of the constable? Can anyone advise?

The great thing about this forum is the help that comes across so often. I was researching a truncheon online and found an identical one here at the beginning of this thread. Sadly learning that I have a 'fake' truncheon. :-/ I must admit though this did have a very fakeness about it. Look at the crown for instance, also the finish of item is of high gloss varnish, so wrong!

Hi Arthur, Thanks for your input, much appreciated. I had also asked the same question on another forum that specialises in Heraldry, seems to be generating a lot of interest. http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=754058.0