Mervyn Mitton

I should have added that these are the Commandos and the names are the areas thay fought-in. Halls Handbook is an invaluable ref. book on the logistics of the Boer War - for both sides.

Hugh - Brett has given you the information you needed. However, as I was doing some photography, I've added the details from the record and also where the Commando's fought and a little on the General - a fairly unpleasant piece of work, who was violently anti-British.

The College was founded in 1427 by the Bishop of Lincoln

Sorry to be a 'party pooper' - but, I think there may be another possibility. The first question that has to be asked is - why should an obscure prelate from over 500 years ago have his arms on a box dating from the late 19th. Century ? Usually, it is because of a link to something they founded - in this case the school that has been mentioned. However, Lincoln College in Oxford is the third oldest University College and I think it far more likely that the box was carved for a college graduate as a gift. The College Arms are directly from the Lincoln Diocese - as is shown by the Mitre. The three stags are only for this original grant - all other stags are shown as heads - either with flesh or, as skulls. See what you think ?

This KEPI is for the Town Police of MONTREAUX in Switzerland. Hopefully, someone can give us some further information on the different types of Policing within the Swiss administered Cantons.

The last two boxes have had quite a few Austrian pieces. The first one - with the red top - is quite intriguing ? The badge includes an enamelled red cross - would it be for a police chaplain - or, does it have a military origin. Please try to identify these different types .

I am presuming that this next Kepi is also French - although I don't recognise the badge.What would the rank be with the extra gold braid ?

Thanks to Les, we know that these caps are for the Cambodian Police. A further batch of hats has arrived and there are several more of these, but for different ranks. This next one has the appearance of also being for a senior officer.

I have been making some enquiries with an exBSAP member. They had the rank of Sgt. Major - although they were usually called Station Sergts. I see that Northern Rhodesia has been ruled out - however, they were a very small Force. The likelyhood is that they are for a member of the Southern Rhodesia BSAP - or, perhaps the old Nyasaland Police. They all came under a similar umbrella. Let's hope someone has access to their rolls ?

Lovely condition, Brian. I think this is the first WW2 German item we have had on the this sub-forum. I may have a silver version - if so, will post.

8 from the bottom on Page 2 shows you the same medal , also with two extre five year bars. Mine is for British South Afria Police. Do you have no clues for who he was ?

Monty - welcome to GMIC - please be assured that if you have an interest in Police, then you are among friends. Dealing, firstly, with your query on City of London whistles. Until 1884 British Forces carried a rattle - this was OK when a frock coat was worn, since the rattle was in the tail pocket at the back. When they were shortened to tunics thay were harder to carry. Finally, in 1884 tests were carried out to compare rattles with the new whistles. These were not the 'air' ones in later use, but more in the shape of gym whistles and they had a pea (in fact a ball of cork). The tests proved conclusively that whistles carried for up to 800 or, 900 yards - twice the distance of the rattle. The Metropolitan Police therefore, adopted them and other Forces also, gradually changed over. However, you must remember that unlike the Met. - who came under the authority of the Home Secretary - other Forces had Chief Constables and Watch Committees- so, it often took time for the changeover. The Police themselves were also very reluctant to give-up rattles - they had proved to be a quick and reliable weapon in an emergency. The City of London were established following the Police Act of 1838 and followed the Met. quite closely. I never covered their whistles in my book -however, I would say within one or, two years from the Met. Police. I was very intterested to see your background with 'Jack the Ripper'. I was originally posted to Bethnal Green Police Station in the heart of London's East End - and we included all of the murders apart from the City. My original beat - No.3 - had three of his murder sites and the one in Hanbury Street was exactly how the Illustrated London News had drawn the back yard. They later pulled the building down - and now have re-built it for the tourist trade. The stupidity and greed of property developers never fails to amaze me ! Being the newest PC I was given this Beat as it was furthest from the Station to walk. I loved it - so much history. I had Brick Lane and many of the tenements still existed from the renovations following the murders. My own opinion - and I have gone fairly deeply into the available research - is that it was the Doctor. His name escapes me (was it Druitt ?) - but I write these threads from memory. When I organised the first exhibition the Met. had put on it's history, in 1973, much new information came to light. I certainly have no time for all the Royal theorists. When I first went to Bethnal Green, we had the men from the Commercial Street Station sharing with us - their station had been built-in the 1880's following the murders and was being replaced. When they cleared the attics of the old building they found all the original statements and all of the lists of people living in each street and building. Information never looked at for 100 years. They took it into the yard of the building and burnt every file. I did my best to get hold of some - I even took the mnatter up with a senior officer. To no avail - I was too new at that time and did not have the influence I may have had later. A tragedy of the first order - who knows what might have been in those files ? Tell us a little more about your collection and - yourself - we're a nosy lot.....