Stuart Bates

I have been told that the Lancashire Fusiliers flash is the most faked one of all.

Mervyn, sorry but not this time. I don't know whether Staybrite is used. One would have to ask the manufacturers Firmin & Co. I do know that there have been experiments with "plastic" skulls but no idea if this progressed to today's helmets. The ear rosettes on your B & R's helmet are normally those of the Life Guards but it is not uncommon to find them in the B & Rs and vice versa. Stuart

Leigh, there is a debate about how much and, indeed, whether shoulder straps were ever used for flashes. Regiments would have had ample supplies of red cloth to make such articles without destroying perfectly good tunics. However, tunics at the end of their life would probably have been used when necessary. Stuart

Leigh, I had a quick look at one of my busbies but would not apply too much pressure on the top trying to establish how the bag was fixed, but I think I felt stitching. The interior top is fully lined with no evidence of how the bag was fixed. Does yours have stitch holes? Stuart

According to Ray Westlake's book Collecting Metal Shoulder Titles the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) changed their shoulder title in 1899 from R.Lanc.R to Lancaster then to R Lancaster in 1902. So I take it that the flash is 1899 - 1902. Ron Kidd, who wrote a series of articles on Boer War flashes, also backs this up and states that there were several different flashes in use at that time of varying sizes and wording. Flashes also varied from battalion to battalion in some regiments. Stuart

Mervyn, the numeral is brass. Stuart

Leigh certainly has some lovely pictures and lots of them from what I can gather! Matched only by his depth of knowledge but enough of the accolades . Whenever I return to GMIC after an absence there is always a topic or two that I can contribute to, which is why it is my favourite forum! Stuart

Maybe not "years to come" but here is my other Boer War helmet. This one is to the 4th Battalion of the King's Own Royal Lancaster regiment. Stuart

Well I am not prepared to tear my busbies apart but from looking at Leigh's busby bag I would say it is stitched to the top. No doubt Leigh will clarify this. Stuart

Here is the reverse side which illustrates the shape known as the "10th Hussars" because of the rather more steep inclination of the peak and nape than that of the regulation pattern. Not quite the "smart" shape as warned of in the 1900 DRs but distinctive nevertheless. Stuart

Here is the pride and joy of my sun (pith) helmet collection. It is to Paget's Horse which formed part of the 19th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. The unit was raised by Major George Thomas Cavendish Paget in 1900. He served as second in command.

The pillbox cap came with a cardboard container which is inscribed with Serg. Morris, 13th Huss, Ballincollig. The 13th served in Ballincollig, Ireland 1891-94.

here is my 13th Hussars pillbox forage cap. It is attributed to a Sergeant Morris.

Mervyn, the badge on the 4th/7th trooper is MG within a wreath, therefore a machine gunner. You might try http://www.theplumery.co.uk/modern%20milit...ry%20plumes.htm for replacement plumes. I got a couple years ago from Regimentals in the UK. I replaced a couple because the horsehair ones were so "ratty" but I still have them. The sunburst "outline" seems to be appropriate to the 1847 pattern and changed with the introduction of the simplified 1871 pattern heavy cavalry helmet. About 130. Stuart

Mervyn, those badges are lovely. Are they for sale as I couldn't locate them on your site? Here is my NSW Military Forces helmet with badge. The Badge of the Colony design was granted in 1876 but was first mentioned in Dress Regulations in August 1881. The scarlet backing to the Badge of the Colony was authorised in 1883. Stuart

Here is the 1847 pattern helmet. This one an officer's of the 5th Dragoon Guards. Stuart

Mervyn, here is my 7th DGs ORs 1871 pattern helmet. I will post an 1847 pattern of the 5th DGs for comparison. Book will be posted today. Stuart

Mervyn, Post away.

The only J Cripps I found was a J.M.R. Cripps of the Royal Naval Air Service. He was a Flight Lieutenant in 1914 and a Squadron Commander in 1916 but does not appear in the 1917 List. Stuart

Mervyn, send me a PM with your address and I will post you out a copy of the book. The postage will be expensive as it costs A$35 to send one to the UK. I have to send off a couple today so will check the postage to SA. As to Boer War helmets there are a lot of fakes out there. One giveaway is the lack of ventilation between the headband and the shell of the helmet. Another is having the chinstrap attached directly to the helmet rather than looping over internal hooks on each side. I know that Peter Suciu would be interested in any SA helmets as he is the international collector whereas I only collect British. Maybe you could start a new topic or simply add to the book one . Cheers, Stuart

Mervyn, what a lovely example of the 7th DGs helmet. Yours is the 1871 pattern and so cannot date 1843 to 1848. I have several officers' helmets to other DGs and Dragoon regiments but only an OR's to the 7th. They, of course, amalgamated with the 4th Dragoon Guards in 1922 and I attach a photo of a 4th/7th Trooper showing his Wolseley helmet with the white over black hackle. Stuart

Ed, we concentrated on military through Dress Regulations, Army Council Instructions and impeccable sources like Brian Davis, Ron Kidd, John Mollo, Michael Barthorp etc (see the Bibliography). Civilian hats/helmets were used e.g. Cawnpores and the Bombay Bowlers but we found no official presence for them. That is, apart from the Cawnpore's use being discontinued by ACI 284. There is no doubt that officers bought civilian helmets but issue to the men is problemmatic in the early days. However, following is a photo showing soldiers waiting to embark and either wearing Cawnpores or wearing the Colonial pattern helmet with a Cawnpore strung across their backs, or vice versa. So it may have been a regimental issue of civilian helmets to preserve the regulation cork one. The Indian authorities, generally speaking, did not appreciate the cost of cork helmets and were always looking for ways to get around the War Office edicts and therefore save on expenditure. Stuart PS. Can't do any better on the resolution of the photo.

Ed, I will pass your comments on to Gordon who won't be happy that it is not EIC. I will post the hi-res version that he gave me. In fact here it is - Stuart

Leigh, I will have to ask the owner of the helmet. So will post a response when I receive one. Thanks, Stuart

Can anyone translate the writing on this EIC Artillery helmet (into English!) Thanks, Stuart