The Badger

Hi Kevin Re post 188 Berkshire lapel badges are there 5 variations of this as I have 2 a brass and blue enamel made by Botly & Lewis and chrome one with no makers name, plus I am looking for a red enamel crown version of the blue enamel one. I am taking it that the two you have are bronze and chrome with blue enamel also is the red backing original? I think you have posted a few more badges that I have not seen before and will have to to add to my wants list. I have 304 lapel badges and have pictures of 252 that I want so if there is as I have been told over 700 I still have a lot more to source pictures of. Alan

Hi Nick If you are reffering to Keith Hallam, Keith passed away some years ago now. I have been told that he had over 700 Specials badges in his collection I would love to have seen them.I presume the family kept the collection as I dont think it ever cam to market. Regards Alan

Hi Kevin The brassard is in fact a badge worn on a bowler hat was fixed by a thick elastic band Regards alan

Hi Kevin What a fantastic insight into the early specials. I have a few standing orders for WWII will have to dig them out. Regards Alan

Hi Kevin Very nice could be a complete new field of collecting specials certificates of service. Regards Alan

HI Brian Thought you may like to see this as you collect Staffordshire, makes my computer generated certificate with just a force crest look plane. Unfortunately the photo does not do it justice.

Hi Brian I was told that the chrome specials badge was for senior officers and dates from the twenties/thirties period, as (and I may be wrong) that,s the period that police badges started to be chromed. Would that fit in with your man do you think rising in rank as an ex regular. Pity the Met or any other forces never kept specials records. Regards Alan

Hi Vickers Welcome to GMC as you where a Special you may be interested in my specials badge collection see www. thebadger.free-online.co.uk Alan

Hi Mervin While the specials are in vogue at present a couple of pictures of badges I have just obtained the Hove Emergency is unusual and the other I am hoping someone can tell me where it is from I am guessing colonial may be Canadian what do you think Brian.

Leigh Wondered what an RIC uniform was doing in the museum, hope it all takes off again do the following bring back any memories. Grabbed them from a video I took in 1996 wish I had taken more detail and close ups. Alan :beer:

Mervyn Did you forget about the Met Special Supt. I was told plain SC, Yellow Sgt, Blue Insp ,Red Ch Insp , White Supt Alan

Brian Any idea what the badge is on the specials photo, as the nearest I can get to it is Birmingham but it does not look 100% the same. The only other large cap badges I know off are Blackpool and Nottingham the Nottingham one only being worn on a bowler hat.( it is sometimes mistaken for an arm band.) Alan

Hi Kevlar Sorry to say I think you are on a loser here, as Tom says without a force starting point I would say it is impossible, with a force starting point most likely impossible as not many if any forces keep/kept records of specials. As you inherited it I would seek family help in locating the force someone may have known him and where he came from. Alan

Leigh Reply from my friend hope it was what you where looking for. The one featuring the "shield" shaped badge on his hat is Lincoln City Police (Vic. era). The remaining three are Lincolnshire Constabulary. The badge is not in fact a wreath but a QVC crowned circle with LKH in the centre. The guy with the QVC on his forearm is also, I think Lincs. The "H" and the number indicates that he's stationed in Holland. You can see the letter "L" in the enlarged photo which indicates he is stationed in Lindsay. Alan

Leigh This is a real poser according to badges of office Lincs never had a Vicky wreath HP, Kingston up Hull did but not with a crown. I know two collectors who I class as experts in the field of uniform and HP both having many years of collecting behind them. I have copied photos 3 and 4 and sent it to both of them will let you know when I get a reply from them. Long shot the H may be Huntingdonshire, apparently they wore a Shako, but I have yet to have it confirmed. A photo in Crime and Punishment by R Whitmore shows a circa 1890 Huntingdonshire PC wearing a shako with no badge and a RH breast patch, but Ken Mason could not confirm that it was Hunts. Alan

Mervyn My first inspector and a colleague of his both ex Huntingdon officers, wrote a book / copied a lot of standing orders hence my knowledge of Huntingdon Police. They were formed 1857 by the joining of Huntingdon Boro and Godmanchester Boro which had given a add hoc policing system to the area prior to the 1875 act which brought in rules and regulations. As far as I am aware nothing is know of Godmanchester Boro, Huntingdon shire amalgamated into Mid Anglia 1965 I have a lamp with the force crest and name with QC on the front plate made by Forster Huncote Leics with Red & Green Filters. I also have the Orders and regulations hand book by George Davies Capt RN Chief Constable (he was at the same time CC of Cambridgeshire) approved by the Justices in Quarter Sessions 6th April 1857 and issued to PC 22 Robert Hamilton who joined 8/5/1857 front inside cover reads Issued and for the guidance of PCNo.22 Huntingdonshire Constabulary and signed Geo. Davies Chief Constable . Don?t ask why but this came from the USA thanks to Ebay. I will see if I can find any other items that can be attributed to Huntingdonshire. Alan

From my research I have found In 1890 Huntingdon wore a Shako style hat with no Badge in 1896 they had cocks comb helmet with possible a white metal plate(doubtful poor quality photocopy of a photo) I have never seen one and there was not one in the police museum at Thorpe Wood Police Station. 1908 black plate black comb helmet 1927 black plate black comb helmet 1950 black plate large chrome CoA centre rose top helmet 1957 kchp? Again poor quality photocopy of a photo 1965 black plate small chrome CoA centre rose top helmet Any one have any other information I would be pleased to hear from them

Without having it x-rayed, I could not say for certain as the chrome makes a wonderful cover. But looking at it with a magnifying glass and comparing it to blackened brass and one I have on a helmet I would say replacement crown but then again so does the Mid Anglia I have which has no reason to have been recrowned. The picture shows QC Huntingdon Helmet from my collection I also have the uniform to go with it plus the details and photo of the officer it belonged to.

Any one ever seen one like this from any other force, its the only one I have ever seen all others are black or is it just that its Reading that it is red. I have various others if you want me to post them hereor you can view them on my web page.

You can?t always believe what you see, here is chrome Huntingdonshire helmet plate. What?s unusual is that they never had one. So is it a sample or did an officer decide to have one chromed as a gift? Will we ever know? If you do know please tell me.

Wandering round North Staffordshire for the last 10 years, just getting use to the altitude now after the fens.

Mervyn This is the best I can get

Hi Everybody I have hawked this photo around a few collectors sites with out any success. But having read some of the threads I feel this time I will get an answer. The cap badge looks to me like an Ostrich Regards Alan

Hi Mervyn You can see my collection at http://www.thebadger.free-online.co.uk/index.htm I think we have a common friend Ian Shepard from Knutsford, as he has mentioned you to me. Do you still have the Chatteris Specials badge that is shown in your book The Policemans Lot? I will try and upload some pictures when I get the chance. Regards Alan

Hi Mervyn Huntingdon only had 470 serving officers that can be found on records of joining during its 108 years, no wonder anything from them is hard to find. I have one or two prize items in my collection from Huntingdon County Police but still seek a QC helmet plate and cap badge. Alan