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    conner395

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    Everything posted by conner395

    1. Here's a very informative site run by a retired officer: http://www.britishpolicehelmet.co.uk/index.html
    2. - I know the feeling. Hence my pride in the fact that "Hamish MacBeth" was fairly spot-on (even down to some of my patches and historical photos being on show in his office!) - one of my mates was Section Sgt at Kyle of LOchalsh (filming was nearby there, at Plockton) at that time and he "consulted" me when necessary! Nick's very valid point is why my family refuse to watch any police-related TV drama or film with me around - I am forever jumping up and down shouting "that's wrong" ""it should be...." "they didn't have them back then" etc. But what do we know? We were only policemen. Dave
    3. Nope. It was a hoot that "rookies" on elementary course always said "sir" to second-stagers or other PCs wearing NC epaulette badges, as that plus the numbers looked awfully like inspector pips from a distance.
    4. Sorry, Dave but you are wrong. Albeit the first issue epaulette was so completely chromed that it was difficult to discern the detail (simply it was TOO shiny), this was easily corrected in future issues and indeed the design lent itself to also a very presentable (I reckon) lapel badge as worn by Northern Constabularty Community Pipe Band. There was even an embroidered version of the shoulderbadge - which needed to be simplified to suit, given the size (approximately that of a florin!!) and the much larger badges look really smart - namely the short-lived wallet/name badge (blue and chrome) , and the Pipe Band Glengarry Badge (black and chrome) The design, which was retained as shoulder insignia despite the corporate rebranding in 1996, must have been OK, as there's a lot of my former colleagues got quite emotional at having to remove it from their uniforms yesterday. The design was in use from 1st October 1979 to 31st March 2013 - and of course remains in use by the Community Pipe Band. Dave Northern Constabulary officer (from force creation in 1975 to 2003) Northern Constabulary Community Pipe Band (from Band creation in 2002- 2013, and still gong!)
    5. I have no doubt that the same emotion was felt all over Scotland, as the various forces paraded for the last time. Albeit that 6 of the 8 were "only" 38 years of age (D+G was unchanged at regionalisation in 1975), they all engendered a spirit of cameraderie and produced an extrmely high level of professionalism - which will be carried by forward by the Police Service of Scotland. I served in Northern Constabulary from its creation on 16.5.1975 until my retiral in October 2003, and as Secretary of the Northern Constabulary Community Pipe Band from its founding in 2002 until the present time, so - technically - I can claim the full 38 years service!!
    6. My understanding was that UK (England & Wales) Police rank Crowns had a red cushion, and that only Scottish ones had blue (although that the latter was fairly recent). Certainly virtualy all the UK specials enamelled lapel badges I've seen (generally the only coloured police badges on the go over the years till recently) had red enamel cushions to the crown. St Edward's Crown (that associated with the reign of the current Queen), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Edward%27s_Crown and the Imperial Crown (referred to as King's Crown in insigna matters, or Tudor Crown) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tudor_Crown both have red cushions.
    7. Number 1 is Israel National Police No. 2 is (now defunct style of) Belgium Municipal Police (generic cap badge) Dave
    8. My tuppence worth. The shirt collar looks like it is separate (from the shirt) and thus would be blue, and this makes it definitely pre-1975. Borne out by the tie which looks it is a "real" tie - clip-on did not come around till mid-1970s. The "bottle-top" Semper Vigilo cap badge finally went out at regionalisation in 1975 (Ayrshire and Aberdeen City still wore their own badges til lthen). The only force in Scotland which pre-1975 wore the trapezium-style of epaulette insignia as per photo was the City of Glasgow Police, so I would suggest that's where yer man was. Worth going to the Glasgow Police Museum sitte at http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/ then clicking on "links", and read the section entitled "RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY?" Dave (Inverness)
    9. Hi, another retired cop here! I had not heard of Hawick having such a collar badge -but being such a wee force (which was merged a long time ago), there would not have been many on the go. The late John Green in his book SCOTTISH INSIGNIA, AS USED BY OLD POLICE FORCES shows a very clear photograph of a Hawick Burgh Police helmet badge, and it seems to match the one in the photo of PC Davidson. John's book describes the Force as: "Hawick Burgh Police was a small force that was formed in 1840. It had just nine members in 1870, but by 1900 their ranks had been swelled to fifteen members, and by 1922 the strength was nineteen members. In 1930 the force merged into the Roxburghshire Constabulary." Hope this helps Dave (Inverness)
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