cpmills

TS, Many thanks for this; I can see the similarities to the German naval helmets. The movable rubber fillets to the back of Imperial German helmets are interesting. Right from the first use of India rubber, to glue helmet shells, in the 1860s, there was heavy criticism of rubber as not being heat neutral, nor was it light in weight. Yet rubber went on to be used, in a few cases, into the 1930s, for whole sun helmets, which were really heavy, and must have been notably hot. One was even marketted as a 'Rubber Health Helmet'. The wavy side brims on the British experimental helmet are indeed part of the original design, no warping over the years. What were these for? Well, the Victorians were obsessed about the sun hitting the temples. The Victorian Colonial pattern helmet was heavily criticised in this respect, for its lack of lateral brim spread particularly over the temples. I think the wavy brim extensions on the experimental helmet were trying to provide a bit more shade in this area. What civilian pith helmets do you have? Although this is a military forum, I think you might be justified in posting a few here? Although I have never collected civilian helmets, I do find them fascinating. Regards. Chris Mills.

TS, Your observations as to the Germanic styling influence in this helmet are spot on. Ever since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, a number of people in the British Army hankered after all martial things German. This design has much of the pickelhaube in it. This was an army helmet, and British, being made by the London cork maker Hawkes & Company, and showing army issue marks of 1896. It is a known experimental pattern of the 1890s, one of a number of helmets put up for the competition of 'universal helmet', the idea of which was to replace both home service and foreign service helmets with one design. This helmet had somewhat quirky styling, which was to address criticisms of the beautiful Victorian Colonial pattern, which was considered to have serious problems in the depth of both peak and the nape, which made binoculars and rifles difficult to use properly. It was designed by Guy Fleetwood Wilson, who was Director of the Army Clothing department in the 1890s. It is the only rank and file quality helmet ever found with the makers name of Hawkes & Company, of 14 Piccadilly, within it. The company is not known ever to have named another rank and file helmet. The experimental helmet had less of a peak and a much flatter nape. It also had considerable height taken out of the crown. Trialled in Sheffield and Manchester, this experimental helmet was unpopular on grounds of styling, the men disliked it. It never got as far as a hot weather station, hence the lack of a puggaree on this surviving example. This survivior is a real rarity, for only a few hundred of these were made for trialling purposes. It has spent most of the last 100 years in a Welsh barn. The 'Wolseley pattern', a far more elegant design, won the competition for universal helmet instead, being sealed for the army in September 1899. I would like to see pictures of this German naval pith helmet, which you say has some styling in common with this hawkes experimental helmet. Chris Mills.

The helmet I meant to add is the one below. A friend helped me sort out what I did wrong. Not a Wolseley pattern foreign service helmet, but perhaps belongs in this topic, here is an interesting khaki sun helmet of singular shape. Would anybody like to give an opinion as to it? Chris

Stuart, I am sorry the Gooch Wolseley got accidentally posted three times, with a misleading entry on the second and third, this is my computer illiteracy speaking. I had tried to post something new. I do not think the double folding on pagri wrapping was any sort of unit distinction, it was just a piece of luxury, and the London pagri-girls showing off their trade. I have seen it on a few foreign service helmets. There are four fully rounded front peaked Wolseleys presently known. It was a minority option. Chris.

Here is an interesting Wolseley pattern, to the Coldstream Guards, 2nd Foot Guards, the oldest regiment in the British Army. Named to Lieutenant R. F. S. Gooch, he wore this in India, 1937/8, whilst a military secretary to the Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow. Gooch subsequently went on to become a lieutenant colonel by 1944, winning the DSO in World War Two. The helmet is of a very high quality, although it is of an unknown maker, retailed by Edward Smith, an outfitter of Cork Street, Savile Row. Unusually for the Wolseley pattern, this one has a fully rounded front peak. The Brunswick Star pagri badge of the Coldstreams is of superb quality, with beautiful enamelling.

Hi there, How common they were in late Victorian army use is very diffcult to be precise about. The Prince of Wales wore one tiger hunting on his tour of India 1874/5, as did all British officers attending upon him, and we might presume, with this royal approval, that the style subsequently gained ground in the army in India from there on. They were certainly popular as a shikari (hunting) helmets, for they suffered from none of the nape and peak depth problems which dogged the Victorian Colonial pattern service helmets. By 1900 the Cawnpore was in widespread use in the indian hot weather, in preference to the army service helmets. Victorian survivors of the Cawnpore are virtually unknown. I have seen only one which might be Victorian. They did see extensive civilian use also. They were favoured for horse-riding, for the great, thick shells provided great impact protection, and the crowns contained less dangerous ventilation metal work than cork service helmets, because they lacked any screw shanks beneath the ventilator button. I hope this helps. The exact origins of the Cawnpore Tent Club helmets, to give them their precise name, are still a little shrouded in mystery. Googling 'Cawnpore Tent Club' brings up nothing. I hope this helps clarify existing knowledge. Stuart Bates and I will be posting a few more Cawnpores and Bombay Bowlers in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out, and we hope we can help expand general knowledge of these types of army sun helmet.

Here is a Cawnpore Tent Club helmet of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, dating from 1938. It was made in India, of sola pith, a Bengali spongewood, by the Peninsula Hat Company of Calcutta, a leading Indian hat maker. This model has its origins as early as 1860. They entered service with British imperial officers from the late Victorian era, and the Great War saw the first extension into the rank and file supply chain in India. Appearing in Indian Dress Regulations of 1931, as the 'Indian Pattern pith helmet', by the late 1930s they had entirely superseded the cork Wolseley, which was officially obsoleted by India in 1937. Chris.