Brian Wolfe

A very impressive post. I throughly enjoyed viewing your collection, thanks for taking the time to post it.

Regards

Brian

Ah crowned "NP" buttons - different lettering, but I'd still have got excited at the sight of them if 1314 had'nt identified this cap as Nigerian Police.

Hi Leigh,

I am confused by your comment about the cap (badge?), could you please elaborate? My being confused is getting to be a state of mind that is becoming more familiar with age.

Regards

Brian

Brian

I was pleased to find someone else with an interest in the Natal Police. I have a couple of spare Victorian NP buttons that are spherical in shape. If you want them, please pm me your address and I will post them to you.

Regards

Brett

Many thanks Brett, PM has been sent.

Regards

Brian

Two nice Brassards, Brian - and the post came out well, so you're comp. problems may be solved. Vickers has laid out the normal ratio of Insp./Sgts/P.C.'s. He also mentions the hostility that has often occured in the past between Regulars and Specials. I don't really think your post on Specials is the right place to explore this, being oriented to equipment - however it has always been a problem and is worthy of some discussion - but, is a collector's forum the place to go into something which can be sensitive and cause hurt feelings ?

Perhaps we should start a discussion in the Lounge - or on the new Forum, if there are enough Police ?

Thanks Mervyn,

I still can't send emails through the Bell system (bell.net) but I can receive them. I have been responding through my hotmail account. I can put up with that and as long as I can post on the GMIC I'm a happy fellow.

You're right about the friction between Regulars and Specials, it exists here as well.

I would like it if any such discussion was carried out on another area such as the Lounge because so many members have added to this one that I would hate to see it locked due to heated discussion. I would like to see this post stay with equipment (and photos?) as you have suggested.

Regards

Brian

Brian

SC Inspectors were/ are not that unusual. Some forces would have more than others but you could probably think in terms of 1 Insp to 3 Sgts to 24 constables. There would then have been administrative Insps and pre 1960s there would have been Sub Insps and Staff Sgts below, above Insp there would have been Chief Inspectors, Superintendents, Chief Superintendents, and Commandants. All this brass always got up the Regulars noses!!

However I have not seen one of these before so very interesting.

Thanks Vickers,

This information is very hard to come by especially here in Canada.

Regards

Brian

The cap badge is from the South African Police which followed the Natal Police from 1913. This badge has the crown of King George V. Around the coat of arms are the words, SOUTH AFRICIAN POLICE with ZUID AFRIKAANSE POLITIE BELOW. My source informs me that Politie is high Dutch and that after 1926 it became Afrikaans Polisie so this would therefore place this cap badge before 1926.

The badge measures 37mm in width and 45mm in height. It was held in place by two loops on back with a cotter pin running through the loops.

Regards

Brian

Here are the buttons.

The buttons are from the Natal Police 1893-1919. In this case they display the crown of Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and are quite scarce. The larger buttons measure 24.5mm in diameter and are held on by way of a single loop on the back, The button is two piece with the name J.R.CAUNT & SON BIRMINGHAM stamped in the back.

The smaller buttons are held on with the same single loop style fixture and measure 17mm in diameter. The two piece construction is stamped FIRMIN'S (then whatlooks like) IP LONDON.

I have a fondness for King Edward VII military and (now) police memorabilia and these buttons are a very welcomed addition.

Regards

Brian

Hello Everyone,

Here is a really nice group of police items from Africa that found its way to my mail box just recently. I am quite happy to be adding them to my small but ever growing collection.

The shoulder title on the top, in blue, is from Rhodesia and the yellow one is for the British South African Police (BSAP) Special Reserve, 1965 - 80. They both measure 155mm at their widest, tip to tip, and 38mm wide.

I will photograph the buttons and cap badge and describe them in the next two posts.

Regads

Brian

Here is a brassard that I was very lucky and excited to add to my growing collection. This oval brassard was made for a Special Constable Inspector. There is no manufacturer's name on this aluminum piece but it has all of the ear marks of Hiatt & Co. B'HAM. You can reference earlier posts to compare but I think this is a safe assumption. The brassard measures 88mm wide (including the strap loops) and 55mm in height. The strap seem a little too new to be original but it fits like it was made for this piece so I will reserve judgment on that point.

The reason I am excited about this piece, and yes I do still get excited about new additions, is the rank of inspector. I do not know the ratio of Inspector to PC in the regular police let alone for the Specials but I don't believe there would be many. As always I welcome any views on this.

I hope you like this offering.

Regards

Brian

Hello Everyone,

Here is another brassard from my collection made by HAITT & Co. B'HAM for the Northumberland Special Constabulary. It is made of aluminum and measures 63mm in diameter. The strap is leather and is in great condition and complete with its buckle.

Regards

Brian

OK. Thanks! I could find this link which shows a postal history of Bahawalpur which shows soldiers in similar attire though they have been placed on reverse side than what is shown in postcard. Still, as you said if postcard doesn't mention anything on back then there is no authenticity that it is official one.

http://www.fdc4all.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=58&products_id=566&zenid=f5f649071f3000b5608a90ab362b0342

Thanks for help!

That's interesting. I would have displayed the two with the oldest unifrom to the left and the latest to the right as in the book you have. I wonder it that has anything to do with those in the western world reading from left to right and languages from the middle east and far east (more or less) being read right to left.

Thanks for adding "food for thought" to this post.

Regards

Brian

Amazing, absolutly amazing.

I've heard of this fellow but would never have thought to see a tipstaff belonging to the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.

You've made my day.

Regards

Brian

May I ask if this postcard is official i.e. issued by Bahawalpur state or a private one like Tucks or any other private publisher? Actually, I have been collecting on British India (includes area before India and Pakistan Independence) WWI and WWII related postal and non-postal items for last couple of years. Recently, someone offered me this postcard for USD$25. Even though, it shows participation in WWI, I was not sure if this was official postcard or private one. As, I have more inclination towards official ones.

Hello,

There is nothing on the back of the card with the exception of the words, POST CARD. I would guess it is a private publisher.

Regards

Brian

Speculation may drive medal prices to new heights during the centennial of the Great War, but what happens after 2018? Some medals may trade at increasing prices for a few years, but after 2018 when only the long term collectors are buying, there may be a lot of people surprised to learn that their hyped purchase prices won't hold in a market consisting of just the collectors as the spur of the moment types have moved on to the next fad. And for those folks, they'll probably sell them off for whatever they can get once the novelty of having "a Great War trio just like Great-Granddad would have worn" wears off. I suspect at least some collectors, who may be used to recent steady rises in prices, will simply sit back for a while and waiting for the market to restore itself to the current trajectory. (Then again, there is always the sacrifice to be made when a "must have" shows itself on the market, and those medals will undoubtedly constitute the exceptions.)

Nothing to add to the post.

I just wanted to welcome you to the GMIC, good to see another fellow "Southern" Ontario resident on the forum.

Regards

Brian

"Type" collectors have a lot to answer for ("Type" = "one of each medal/clasp")

I've also heard that 30 odd years ago it wasn't unusual for dealers to sell the decorations separately from the medals.

Definitely missing a Rakhsha Medal and Sangram Medal. Almost certainly missing a 25th Anniversary Medal and 9 Year LS. Possibly missing a Sainya Seva Medal.

I think this is common everywhere. With so many single medals on the market you just know they were in groups at one time or another. I remember when the price of silver went up and people were selling the WW I BWM to be melted down and keeping the Victory Medal, or selling it to a collector. This was here in Canada where you can only blame greed. At least in India you can understand selling what you can however you can to try to scratch out a living. True it is the dealers who broke up the groups but it may have been a case where singles would sell faster than groups and cash flow rules.

I totaly agree with your suggestion reagrding the possible missing medals Michael. A possible group of seven gone forever.

Regards

Brian

Yes it is a shame that the whole group could not have remained together. In this case your fellow served in a combat zone during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War (Samar Seva Star) as well as in a combat zone during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan conflict, in the western theater as indicated by the Paschimi Star. Missing are the Raksha and Sangram Medals issued for service during those two conflicts. I would bet that there were at least five and perhaps six medals to this group.

Still a nice pair Doc. Are you going to court mount them to assure they stay together once they leave your protection (in another 100 years)?

Regards

Brian

Hi Guys: help needed here. I recently received the Kashmir 48 with a swivel suspension, looks like the one pictured. I also received a Kashmir 1964-65, however the suspension was fixed, non-swivel?, is this consistent with your observations?, or perhaps you could let me know if some come fixed and some swivel suspension? which ones should be swivel and which should be fixed?

Thanks, Matt

Hello Matt,

The early ones, the Kashmir 48 and the Dir-Bajaur clasps have swivel suspensions.

The later issues, the Kashmir 64-65, Rann of Kutch and the Siachen Glacier have fixed suspensions.

My Kashmir 64-65 is with the Dir-Bajaur clasp so mine is a swivel suspension because of the double clasp.

I think you will find that as time went on and funding became tighter the quality slipped. Also later medals were probably made locally as in the case of the Siachen Glacier. I'm still looking for one that was not made by a local taylor and I'm sure Laurence will beat me to it.

I hope this is of some help and welcome to the forum Matt.

Regards

Brian

Hello everyone,

I keep getting pitched off the internet (problems with my server) so I'll be brief.

On eBay at the moment there is a listing for a "Medal Catalouge of Pakistan" by Yahya Qureshi and Rafiq Kasbati for $7.00 US "Buy It Now" from a dealer in Texas. The eBay number is 220521794801.

I would have waited until mine arrived before posting this information but with Christmas time and slow mail service I'm not sure I will see it before the listing runs out. I cannot say if this is worth while so make your own determination but for $7.00 you can't go too far wrong. There is a list of contents on the eBay posting as well.

Regards

Brian

I've been wanting to share this with you gents for some time.

A friend of mine in Italy got it from an individual in the German Militery. Based on the box it came in I believe it was used for teaching recuits how to operate and set the direction for the torpedo's Gyroscope.

Hi Jesse,

I've always liked such items especially the ones "boxed" for training purposes. The only problem for me is where to store such items, as tempting and intetresting as they are.

Thanks for posting this and the propeller, very nice items.

Regards

Brian

What can I say Will?

Sweet!

Regards

Brian

What can I say Will?

Sweet!

Regards

Brian

Hi Will,

Nice display, is this from your collection?

Regards

Brian

A very enjoyable and informative post Alex.

Thanks for taking the time to post these photos.

Regards

Brian

Brian

You lucky person, love the 19 set and have been trying to get one myself but not a lot I can find in UK

Gary

Hi Gary,

I do feel lucky indeed.

I want to display the radio as if is were in an armoured vehicle and have been looking for the aerial guard for two years now. Earlier this week we made one in the company's machine shop, I've just primed it last evening in my shop here at home. It's not an exact copy but close enough for the display.

Here's a photo.

Regards

Brian

Congratulations Norman, a feat to be proud of.

Regards

Brian