Brian Wolfe

Hello Joe. This is most helpful and I know my friend will be greatly pleased to find this out.

His next step will be to start to research for his ancestor in that area.

Thanks again.

Regards

Brian

Hello Everyone,

Could any of the members help with the identification of this collar badge? The badge has the King's Crown but the municipality's identification is not clear.

I have posted more written details about the photo on the Special Constabulary section but I was hoping that some of the members who never go there will see it here.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Regards

Brian

Here is the closest view I can get and still retain some detail. If you want to get closer please use the Ctrl + "trick", to get back to the normal size just use Ctrl -.

Thanks again for your help.

Regards

Brian

Hello Everyone,

A good friend of mine has forwarded this photo through the internet to me and we'd like to attempt to track the fellow down, so-to-speak. He could be related to my friend but all that is written on the photo's back is, "Francis Special Police WWII".

Since it is not known what this fellow's last name was, as he could have been related to my friend's father or mother we thought that starting with the police force where he served would be a good start.

I am hoping that one of the members will recognize the collar badge. The King's Crown is clearly shown but the rest is not so clear. Can anyone shed some light on this mystery?

Thanks for any assistance you can give us.

Regards

Brian

I would like to comment that this is an excellent thread, lots of information and very educational.

This is what I would like to see more of on the forum.

Many thanks for starting this thread Tim and thanks to others who are adding to it.

Well done.

Regards

Brian

Quite interesting Mervyn.

Thanks for posting them, I trust there are more to come?

Regards

Brian

Hello Jeff,

It is always good to see non-military Long Service Medals here on the GMIC.

At times we tend to forget all of the thousands and thousands of people who serve their communities usually with little to no recognition.

Many thanks for posting this interesting medal.

Regards

Brian

I think the clasps show up well in the first photo but just in case they don't (and besides I like close ups) here they are.

Regards

Brian

I was going through my Police collection cabinet and thought you might like to see this unresearched group. I do have a fondness for groups that include a Special Constabulary Medal.

The 1914/15 Star, BWM and Victory Medal are all named to:

17429

CPL. A.W. TAYLOR

SUFF. R. (Suffolk Reg.)

The Defence Medal is, as usual, unnamed but the Special Constabulary Long Service Good Conduct Medal is named to:

ARTHUR W. TAYLOR.

Regards

Brian

Here's a good article on the production of modern custodian helmets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custodian_helmet

Regards

Brian

Hello ERic,

Excellent workmanship on the conversion, was this conversion to a horizontal pin as uncommon as I think?.

A really nice EK1, thanks for posting it.

Regards

Brian

For police helmets I use 1/4 sawn white oak, the same as the police forage caps, but for my military headgear I use red oak. This decision is only because I like both white and red oak but didn't want to mix the two woods in my collection so it's white oak for police and red for military. God, I am so anal.

The only difference between the police and military helmet stands is in the top piece which I use hard maple. This particular maple is "spalted" (a natural stain which can be used decoratively in cabinet work). I use maple as oak has tannic acid and I don't want that in contact with the headgear. The top is finished with several coats of clear. One could pad or cover this sipport but I don't, at least for now.

I like what you have done Chris. I just preferred to have the headgear on pedestal-style stands and besides I like to make things.

Regards

Brian

Hi Chris,

I'm blessed with an abundance of scrap hardwood so I've made my stands in my own shop.

For the police headgear I've used 1/4 sawn white oak with a pine top to support the forage caps. The pine block is cut in an oblong shape in the correct size for the cap it will support. Front to back measurements for the block happens to be the same as the hat size (7 1/8 size cap = 7 1/8 inches for the block. At first I was making this out of one piece of wood but that became a bit too much work so now I cut the block out of pine and attach a thin piece of plywood to the bottom for the cap's edge to rest on. The reason I am fussy about the size is that the peek of the cap will not wrap to the correct shape if the block is too small. I don't make the block as wide as a natural head to allow air to circulate inside the cap through the spaces at the cap's sides. The block is finished with a couple of coats of black enamel paint to seal the wood and to hide the plywood cap edge support from view. The oak is finshed with several coats of clear coat. All of the pieces are dowelled together (I hate screws and nails) with 1/2 inch hardwood dowels. To imitate the top of the head I use felt pillows filled with sand. When a forage cap is worn the top of the head causes a bump, without this the top may sag on the display stand and not look "right".

I'll show the helmet stands in the next post.

Regards

Brian

Tony - a very interesting old photo. The men in suits at the table are probably Detectives - probably officers. To the left of them are Station Inspectors. There are also some civilians in the group - perhaps workers at the Station. On the outside right are men in uniforms holding musical instruments - they have different caps and are presumably a band. Lying on his side at the front is a uniformed man with a cap - I wouldn't have thought an Inspector would lay like this - so perhaps he is a gaoler ? With the clocks on the table I would, personally, think this to be a retirement ceremony for a couple of older Policemen who were leaving. Anybody have other thoughts ?

p.s. The men behind the table could of course, be senior officers' in plain clothes. What I do find strange is that no-one is wearing his whistle.....

Hi Mervyn,

I think you are spot on thinking this is a retirement ceremony. I would think they would have been of quite high rank considering there was a band on hand.

Regards

Brian

Brian

Thought you might like to see this one, I have never seen any other forces in colour only black or brass. Coincidence that it is Reading ?

Now that's a first for me (not that I've seen it all), as you have said most are black or brass.

Very nice, Badger and I did enjoy seeing this one, thanks for posting it.

Regards

Brian

Hi Alan,

That's great selection of PAMS badges.

I hope one of the other members can assist with the identification.

Thanks for posting them.

Regards

Brian

What a great helmet Ian!

Thanks for adding it to this post.

Regards

Brian

Brian,

I am intrigued as to why the three different styles of top-pieces. Unless I am mistaken I can see vents in each one for ventilation. Any possibility of interior shots? Did they have ventilation between the headband and the helmet shell?

Stuart

Stuart

I'm still looking into why there are three different styles so I can't give you an answer yet. All of the top-pieces are vent covers and the sides of the helmet have two holes on each side to assist with the ventiliation. I'll try to post photos of the ventiliation when I get back home this afternoon (your morning).

I was also intending to do a short write up regarding the construction of the custodian helmet as well so perhaps I'll attempt both in the same post.

Regards

Brian

Very impressive collection Mervyn.

It's not something you usually think about when talking about the early years of British policing.

Thanks for posting them.

Regards

Brian

Hi Brian, this is a white helmet from the Isle of Man. They were worn by a small number of other forces mainly during the summer months. Ian

Very classy, thanks for posting this interesting helmet Ian.

Regards

Brian

I had posted these a couple of years ago, but thought I'd add to the discussion. Hope no one minds.

1. Portsmouth City Police

2. Constable-Suffolk Constabulary

Mind? By no means, your submissions are more than welcomed.

Thanks for adding to what I hope will be a popular topic.

Regards

Brian

There seems to be a love/hate by British Police Officers both past and present regarding the wearing of the custodian helmet. I've read posts on another forum that some love the helmet while other hate it. Some say it is outdated and uncomfortable to wear and should be discarded. Others say that is gives them an easily recognizable symbol for the public as well as other officers. Some hold to tradition while others claim to be wanting to move on to be in step with more modern times.

I would really like to hear from past and present police officers on this topic and of course I'd like to see any headgear in your collections whether you are a police officer or not.

Thanks for reading through this very long post, I hope you felt it worth your time.

Regards

Brian

In the past custodian helmets, or ones very similar, were worn by the police forces of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States of America. Outside of the United Kingdom today the custodian style helmet is still in use by some Italian Municipalities while the officer is directing traffic.

Most countries discontinued the use of custodian helmets when the officers were issued automobiles rendering the custodian helmet difficult to wear in the vehicle. To my knowledge the custodian helmet, in the United Kingdom, is worn only while on foot patrol. The helmets were replaced by the now familiar forage cap. I have included two examples of forage caps here. One is from Staffordshire and the other from Peel Region Police Services here in Ontario Canada.

I know the Canadian example is out of context for this topic but it is only to show the similarities even though most reading this post will already be aware of that. Please only post British headgear in this section and forgive my transgression of the proposed conventions.

An early helmet that deserves mention here is the Glamorgan Helmet of the early 1900s. This is a rare helmet and quite sought after by collectors. It featured a metal chin strap that could be slung across the top of the helmet. This helmet is not one that graces my modest collection so with kind permission from Mervyn, from his book, the following photograph was taken.

Another version is the standard helmet with blackened hardware for use during night duty.