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Hi Stuart I haven't been on here much recently. Good to see that you've returned to the fold. I think 'superb' more accurately describes your collection, rather than mine! Patrick

Another one to add. Lothians and Berwickshire Yeomanry Cavalry. This unit existed from 1888-1902. Unfortunately a piece of the ornate decoration on the helmet plate is missing alongside the crown. I have seen similar damage on a couple of other helmets to this unit, presumably because the delicate design of a wreath of thistles makes it susceptible to this type of harm. Anyway these helmets are so few and far between that I bought it despite the problem. Patrick

They are a bit different! Nice idea to collect things with a 'twist'. Patrick

Despite what looks like the Royal device it doesn't look like any British helmet I have ever seen. The shape of the helmet is peculiar, the plume holder is wrong, as is the rosette for the chinchain and the badge looks like it's been cobbled together. I agree-probably a theatrical piece,or somebody trying it on. There were helmets a bit like this floating around a few years ago, with the the numeral '6' in a star, if I remember correctly. Patrick

Time for an update 1.2nd Volunteer Battalion Norfolk Regiment Named inside to 'Arnold'. Not researched yet. 2. 7th Lancashire Artillery Volunteers 3. 64th (2nd South Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot The numerals were only worn on home service helmets for three years before re-organisation and the introduction of territorial titles for regiments. The helmet is named inside to Captain Dugmore 64th Regt, and came with a named tin to this officer. If anybody has the time to google Captain Dugmore 64th foot , you'll find that he doesn't appear to have been much of an officer and a gentleman! Patrick

Peter, thanks My helmets have to fit into my study, which isn't very big, although some of the ones shown in the past have moved on to finance new purchases. The only one which is allowed out of the study is the 3rd Dragoon Guards, shown earlier, because the brass and the red and white plume go well with the decor in in our lounge! My wife is actually very tolerant, although she does from time to time make the point that I'll spend hundreds of pounds on a blue cloth helmet or medal without jibbing (much) whereas I'll think twice before spending £50 on something for the house or garden. No doubt others will have experienced this! Patrick

Hi Jonesy Mine is in the thread named 'British helmets collection' on the second page of this section of the forum. I nought it at Bosley's a few years ago, and have seen several , apparently genuine, for sale since then. For those who are interested in helmets I've also bumped Stuart Bates's posts on his collection back to the top of this section as it would be a great shame if it got lost in the old posts. There's actually a 16th Lancers on the shelves in the overall photos of his collection. Patrick

Just bumping this back up the listings, because it's far too good a collection to get lost in the bowels of the forum! Patrick

Prompted by comments from Stuart Bates (late of this parish) who had been asked for an opinion by a friend, I've now looked properly at this lance cap. Neither of us think it's the real thing. The plume boss is way too big , the colours don't look right and the material is wrong; the braid on the waist band is too new and on the verticals looks very new and is too flat; there should be a hook on the rear corner for the lines; the plate looks really shiny etc. I wouldn't touch it. Patrick

Hi Help, please. I have a QSA/KSA pair to this man, but cannot find any record of his entitlement on the nominal roll WO 100/184 or through an Ancestry search. Can anybody help? Is there an obvious answer I'm missing? QSA claps are CC,OFS, TVL and KSA Clasps are SA 01 and SA 02.The only R Charnock who shows up on the medal rolls against South Africa through Ancestry is described by them as belonging to the 4th Battalion Kings German Legion! This was in being during the Napoleonic Wars and disbanded in 1816. The actual roll is to the 4th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment-just shows you can't always believe what you read. His clasp entitlement is different. With help from David Biggins on the Anglo-Boer War Forum I've established that Roger Charnock, born Warrington in 1880, joined 3rd Batt E Lancs (militia) on 31/3/97 and then 1st Battn on 14/3/98. My man's number was 5586, and I discovered that this falls into the correct timeline of number 5579 being issued on 1 Feb 98 and 5950 on 25 April 1898. In the 1901 census(taken on 31 March)I have found a Pte Roger Charnock, East Lancs Regt, born in Warrington about 1879, at The Royal Victoria Hospital ( Netley Military Hospital) at Southampton. I am assuming this is the same man. I don't know why he was there or if he'd been in South Africa beforehand. The 1st battalion reached South Africa in February 1900 and was still there in 1902 . He's 'Corporal' on the medals so was presumably promoted after March 1901 if the medals are correct and genuine. There's no indication that the medals have been renamed and the font is correct, although the lettering doesn't look as though it's been done by machine. I'm stuck,and would welcome any ideas , suggestions or facts! Patrick

Sorry to disagree with Mervyn, but I wouldn't pay more than £600, if that , for a genuine one with plume. 16th Lancers seem to be relatively common. I think this probably OK , but the plate looks quite bright. I would ask if there are any issue stamps on the underside of the mortar board. Patrick

Ross Good to see another helmet collector on the forum, particularly since Stuart Bates left. I have some of mine in this section under 'British helmets collections'. I just realised that I haven't added anything for a while so I've just put one on, which should bring it up the top of the list. If you haven't seen Stuart's collection, which is also on here, you must take a look. I go for home service helmets and heavy cavalry. Patrick

It's a while since I've posted , so I'll add a few more helmets over the next few days. This one is to Major Graham of the Cheshire Regiment, later Major General Edward Graham. Patrick

Jock, I believe Gilbert survived despite being shot down. As you say, many didn't. Of the 120,000 who served in Bomber Command 55,573 were killed (45 per cent). Apparently only U-boats had a higher casualty rate. Patrick

I find this incredibly moving-'Requiem for an Airgunner' by R W Gilbert, who was in Bomber Command in WW2 The pain has stopped, For I am dead. My time on earth is done. But in a hundred years from now, I'll still be twenty one. My brief, sweet life is over, My eyes no longer see, No summer walks, No Christmas trees, No pretty girls for me. I've got the chop,I've had it. My nightly ops are done. Yet in another hundred years, I'll still be twenty one. Patrick

Hi As you're not getting any response I'd suggest trying 'The British military Badge Forum'. I suspect the different size globes reflect different manufacturers for the two badges . I've got a number of Manchester badges and one has a significantly bigger and wider globe than the others. Patrick

Thanks Harry.I thought it might be something like that, but I'd never checked.Wonder if this was just a craze in the Manchester area or wider spread? I became a militaria collector at a fairly early age, and used to go to a shop in Manchester near Blackfriars Bridge, called, I think, 'The Old Curiosity Shop', whenever I had any money. I can recall walking back from there to Piccadilly station with a couple of bayonets and a Japanese sword, wrapped in newspaper- different times.I collect Victorian and Edwardian British helmets now, and I always remember longingly that there were loads of these on the shelves around the shop, and also a Prussian Garde Du Korps helmet . All at prices that look like peanuts now, but were still way out of my price range. Do you know the place I mean? Long gone. Patrick

When I was about 11-12 (early 60's) there was a craze for buying little parachutes from a surplus store in the town (Macclesfield). These came packed in a khaki canvas box-shape , probably about 6 inches in length and 3 inches deep, and the parachutes when opened must have been about a foot across.There wasn't that much you could do with them apart from tie model soldiers to them and drop them from trees and off walls, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Does anybody have any idea what the original purpose of these was? My dimensions may not be right -it was a long time ago. Patrick

Bruce Very nice job! I've just remembered that the seller said he'd been told the fittings were 'German silver' which ,so far as I know, is an alloy of primarily copper, nickel and zinc, but it should still look silver. Patrick

Hi Bruce Thanks.I don't have this book, but it confirms what I've gleaned from other sources and the regimental museum. There's a picture below of my helmet, which is to an OR. I bought it a while ago on ebay at a good price. It's in excellent condition, but when I cleaned it up what looked like tarnished white metal fittings (which would be correct) came up looking like brass.They are not, however, as the back of the helmet plate and the decorative band under the one rosette I can remove are in white metal. The 'brass' does not seem to be painted as some exploratory work on a bit hidden by the plume doesn't shift it and it would be incredibly difficult to paint something as intricate as this, given that the decorative bands are riveted on. Also why not do the bit under the rosette? The same applies to plating, which somebody suggested. There was a bit of a debate in the section of GMIC about restoration and it was suggested that white metal plating might have been polished back to a brass base, but I've always thought white metal was solid rather than plated. It remains a mystery, but in the absence of an answer I'm favouring the idea that this is another of these examples of some modification being made locally at the whim of a Yeomanry C.O. which both David Rowe and Stuart Bates have told me did happen.Forgot to mention that the rosette on the plume is in white metal and the plume appears to be an original rather than a modern production. Patrick

Bruce Very impressive collection . I particularly like the Cavalry NCO arm badges and insignia. My badge collection is pre - QEII, although there are some QE II badges in a miscellaneous group of 37 pieces that I'm selling on ebay at the moment. There's a not very good photo of my assembled collection on the 'Battle of the badges' post. Does your research on Victorian cavalry extend to explaining why I have a Staffordshire Yeomanry helmet with brass fittings rather than the white metal ones it ought to have. I've got nowhere with trying to solve this one! Patrick

Bruce If you're a British helmet collector how about posting some photos? I've got my small collection on here and Stuart Bates's mighty collection is also posted on this forum. Patrick

Kev Glad to see that you're sticking with us. Patrick

Ironduke You're absolutely right! I was so convinced that the quality and liner were OR that I completely forgot about the OR garter and numeral. I think,in fact, that the whole plate is officer's as the star is like that of the officer's plate for the Carabiniers rather than the universal star you find on dragoon guards and dragoon helmets for other ranks, which has longer and more pronounced rays- eg my 5th DG below.(don't know why it's coming out sideways!) I still don't understand though why the central device would have been so heavily polished as,according to David Rowe, it was 'silvered' on a 'frosted gilt ground' so I think any cleaning done would be rare and very careful! Patrick

I don't see any problem in looking for opinions and advice on a number of forums. Anyway, It's an 1871 pattern 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) trooper's helmet. What's left of the lining is trooper style leather lining rather than the officer style quilted cloth or silk, and the helmet is in brass and white metal rather than the gilt and silvered metal of an officer's helmet. No officer plate would be worn by polishing like this one. Patrick