SimonLMoore

As far as I am aware the City of London Police had brass chains at the time, though whistles were made in both white metal and brass, as I understand it and from examples I've seen even the buckles of the duty arm bands were in brass. I have used that website to garner some of the information for the illustration but the owner seems to have stopped updating it some time ago and the contact email is sadly broken. The Inspector's dress uniform is beautiful but the shoulder rank and use of two pips dates it as a fairly modern piece compared to the illustrations I'm working on. It is certainly similar to what I have been informed existed for Metropolitan Police Inspectors in the late 1800s and I am guessing for City Police Inspectors too by way of dress uniform but I need more solid information before committing it to the illustrations. It is based upon the British Army patrol jacket which was officially introduced in 1867 so I assume Police use would not pre-date this. I'll certainly have a closer look at those group photographs, I don't suppose you have larger, clearer versions or know the origin so I might try and track down some clearer copies?

Updated; the date of whistle introduction is tentative for the City Police.

Many thanks! I'll definitely add the chain, the Met Police timeline has a note that they were to be used in place of rattles on day patrol from 1885 (Police Order 10th February 1885) with the rattle finally replaced entirely with Police Order you quoted above. If this checks out I'll add it as a note to the finished illustration. I am guessing the City Police introduced whistles at a similar time? I've seen City Sergeants and Constables wearing them in exactly the same manner in photographs but not Inspectors...

Hey chaps, I'm sharing a couple of illustrations here which I have produced based upon research using old photographs, and scraps from regulations where I could find them. These may not be perfect but I am hoping with collective input to make these into useful online references for those starting out with an interest in British Police uniforms, other periods and other forces may be covered if people can provide information! These images are quite easily edited and I am posting them with the intention of updating them as more details come to light, hopefully forum members will be able to help and also point out any errors I have made. With regards to these first two I am particularly interested in confirmation/correction of dates, details on any dress uniform for Met Inspectors (supposedly similar to the Super's uniform?) and in addition details of more senior officers in the City Police and any dress uniform Inspectors may have worn.

Specifically a Crusader III with 6 pounder main gun.

Hey Ross, if you do a google image search for "aimez verite" there are indeed a lot of sold ebay and etsy items which crop up with the same coat of arms, leather buckets, mugs, even a money box.

Just an addendum with another couple of photos, the first showing a Met helmet plate with the single large letter. The second shows detail of what I believe the Inspectors are wearing on their belts in the image attached to the first post though it is difficult to see more than the hooks; sword slings. Again if anyone can tell me the situations governing when swords would and wouldn't be worn I'd be very much obliged! Slings seem to be clipped together but still attached to the belt when not wearing swords.

Hi Mervyn, thanks for the welcome and the information! My interest lay primarily in military uniform and equipment for many years but the Police are very much a growing interest as far as this is concerned, I'm trying to fill gaps in my knowledge as may be seen in the thread I started on here. Sadly not a serving officer but I have a keen and growing interest, I suppose really for interest's sake in many ways, we all need a hobby as they say!

Hope people don't mind me posting in an old thread as I'd be interested to know more about duty armbands, particularly in the Metropolitan Police. I've been reading that prior to 1864 Sergeants wore them on the right, not the left cuff, I am assuming this was to distinguish their rank before the introduction of chevrons in the same year? Does anyone know the specific date when the horizontal stripes were replaced by the vertical?

I was really pleased to stumble across this forum the other day and wasted no time in creating an account. From reading other threads I am hoping there will be someone on here who can help me with some specific questions to fill gaps in my research into the thread topic.Please forgive the barrage of questions; hopefully it will make this an interesting thread! I have a fairly good handle on the ins and outs of Constable's and Sergeant's uniform and equipment including changes over the period, rattles progressively changed for whistles, Station Sergeants wearing 4 stripes etc. One specific of Sergeants and Station Sergeants uniform I hoped might be clarified, were their stripes/chevrons at the time formed from thin silver russian braid as here; Or were they formed from a thicker form of flat lace or braid? It is something I have had trouble deciphering from period photographs. Were the same pattern worn on overcoats? The greater portion of my questions relate to officer's uniform, some details I am very sketchy on. Helmet plates raise the first query, I understand that ceremonial helmet plates for officers were like those of Sergeants and Constables but bore either a single, large divisional letter, obviously no number being worn, or in the case of more senior officers the royal cipher; VR. My question is, who wore what? My best guess based upon organisation at the time was that up to Chief Inspector the lettered plate was used and from Superintendent upwards the plate with the royal cipher, could anyone clarify please? How did officer's helmets differ from those worn by Constables and Sergeants? Referring to the image I have attached it purports to show a Superintendent W Hammond with his Inspectors, he is wearing dress uniform, similar to the British Army officer's patrol jacket of the time. The Inspectors are wearing their own version of the normal uniform tunic and caps. I realise this image is post-1902 due to the Imperial State (King's) Crowns as collar insignia. However I have been informed the details of the uniform were little changed from the 1880s, even then the image raises more questions than it answers. - How did officer's dress uniform differ from rank to rank, other than in the helmet plate details already mentioned? - Did Superintendents and above have a plain every-day uniform more akin to that worn by the Inspectors here? - It is impossible to tell from the photograph but did cap peaks bear braid rank distinction as today? Rank insignia is also something of a grey area for me, again referring to the attached image Inspectors left and right of the Superintendent are wearing collar insignia. At left a crown and at right a single star. As I understand it the crown represents a Chief Inspector at the time, the star presumably the equivalent of a pip at the time (it is difficult to tell the shape from the photo) to show a Station Inspector? The other Inspectors are wearing no collar insignia at all it would seem. The Superintendent seems to be wearing no rank insignia either, how differing rank was displayed on dress uniform is another detail I'd be interested in if anyone has the answer. If I've got anything wrong in my current understanding please do correct me and thanks in advance for any help you can give!