pjac

Hi, why do you think it is a Fusilier piece? I don’t know much about bearskins, but If it doesn’t have a mounting for a badge, but just for a hackle/ plume, I would think it’s for one of the Guard regiments. 
 

Patrick

I agree with Bayern. I think this is an artificially aged repro of a pickelhaube to fusilier regiment 33 or 34. I don’t know how much an original would cost, but a lot more than a standard Prussian OR pickelhaube.

The colours of the cockade are right for Sachsen Coburg IR95, but it should be smooth edged. 

Brian Loree, who runs the ‘ Pickelhaubes.com’ forum is a superb restorer of old, decayed and damaged pickelhaubes.  You can see his work in the ‘ Restoration’  section. Send him a pm via the forum and ask his advice.

Patrick

Has the gilt gone, or is just dulled? If the former, I can't help, I'm afraid. If the latter, Hagerty silver and multimetal foam can produce remarkable results. I have used it on blue cloth helmet plates and waist belt clasps with great success. It is not abrasive and does not damage the gilt. I was put on to it by a guy who is one of the top restorers of pickelhaubes, - he uses it to bring fire gilt on officer helmets back to life.

Patrick

That is a superb , and possibly unique, set. The only way you would know for sure what it's worth would be to put it into a good militaria auction. If a dealer offered you £4000 it's probably worth twice that!

Patrick

I agree withTony on the ID. I have mounted helmet plates and buttons on card with black or red velvet type fabric stretched over the card and glued at the back ,then fitted into a frame. Small holes punched through for the loops and matchsticks or similar through the loops to secure the pieces. 

Cleaning is a personal decision. If you do clean, the white metal rose within the bugle horn device and the scrolls can be done with a metal polish, or Worcestershire sauce, if you want something non- abrasive. You may need to wipe the cloth, once you've cleaned the metal of the device. Do not try to remove the bugle horn device or the small scroll from the cloth at any point as  it's almost certain that one or more of the bent retaining wires will break. If, as it seems from the photos,there is still gilt on the bugle horn and the rest of the plate then on no account use a metal polish to clean as it will remove the gilt. Warm soapy water and a soft brush is all I would use, although some people use diluted ammonia or lemon juice. Buttons can be done with a metal polish like Brasso.

A nice set- congratulations on hanging on to the pieces.

Patrick

Grey C, Thanks for the reply, which was a very good lead. After doing some digging I've now established that it is a pre-1897 badge indicating membership of the port watch. It would be on the right sleeve for starboard watch. It is mentioned in the 1890 uniform regulations for the Royal Navy, but disappears in1897, so the uniform is obviously not 20th century.

Patrick

I am trying to help a member of another forum to identify  a badge on a Royal Navy white uniform . It is a blue horizontal stripe high up on the left arm above the the rating badge  ( Petty Officer 2nd Class) and good conduct chevrons. The uniform dates, we think, from the early 20th century. I have looked at the 1897 dress regulations but can find nothing like it. Any ideas?

Thanks

Patrick

I don't know the answer to the question, but the place to get really good advice on restoration and maintenance is pickelhaubes.com . There is a section entitled 'restoration' and Brian Loree is the guru. He does some amazing work.

Patrick

Chris, It's years since I collected cap badges, and I'm quite happy to be corrected on my thoughts. My first reaction is that the back looks very shiny and clean,  often the sign of a modern copy. However, the front looks to have been well polished, with highlights rubbed down, which suggests it might be genuine. How big is it? I don't recall seeing a cap badge like this, but I have seen pouch badges in this design. Final thought- it looks as though it has been cast, rather than struck from a die. This could mean that it's a poor copy. Some cast badges are genuine, and were made when a unit was stationed overseas, but I'm not sure Engineer Volunteers would have been posted abroad.

Hope somebody more knowledgeable can help

Patrick

Very nice!

Patrick

I'm a bit rusty on bages, and I don't have my books to hand, but the Cyclist Corps and Tyneside Irish are definitely WW1 period as, I think is the Carenarvonshire Volunteers. The Tyneside badge looks very shiny and new, and, despite the maker's mark, could well be a modern copy. Original Tyneside Irish badges are hard to find and not cheap, so if this one you've struck lucky.. The REME badge is post WW2 I think. The crown was the same for all monarchs after Victoria and before Elizabeth II.

Patrick

Hi Stuart

Exactly!

Have a good Christmas.

Patrick

Thanks Brian

Still can't believe I got this one. It was on ebay at a very reasonable starting price and I got it for that price with no competition. Don't know if everybody else was spent up before Christmas!

Patrick

A new arrival. This is a green cloth helmet to the Shropshire Light Infantry, pre-1891. The light infantry regiments wore green cloths rather than the blue cloths worn by other regiments.The photo doesn't really do it justice, as the green of the cloth has become more of a blue in the process of importing the photo from Photobucket. The gilt is very bright and nicely toned- difficult to capture, as natural light is awful on the shortest day of the year in Scotland, so I've had to use flash.

Patrick.

Problems with photo. New post below

Thanks all.

I've checked both DNW and Spinks, but no joy. Also tried various google searches without success. What other medal auctioneers should I be looking at? Will continue with the search!

Patrick

Hi, if not already tried it, i would suggest that you check Dix, Noonan & Webb and the Spink auction archives as well. You never know. Best of luck with your search.[/quo

Thanks very much. I'll give this a try.

Patrick

I found out by chance that my Great-Uncle, William Russell Stobo, Chief Engineer, and his captain F D Struss were both awarded the DSC after their ship, The Manchester Trader, engaged in a running battle with submarine U65 in the Mediterranean and was sunk off Pantellaria on 4 June 1917.

This was never mentioned in the family and I have no idea what became of the medal. I would very much like to track it down. Were these medals named? Even if not named, if might still be with his named Mercantile Marine medal and BWM. Where/how would I start looking? I'm not over-optimistic about finding it, but I won't know if I don't try!

Thanks

Patrick

I found out by chance that my Great-Uncle, William Russell Stobo, Chief Engineer, and his captain F D Struss were both awarded the DSC after their ship, The Manchester Trader, engaged in a running battle with submarine U65 in the Mediterranean and was sunk off Pantellaria on 4 June 1917.

This was never mentioned in the family and I have no idea what became of the medal. I would very much like to track it down. Were these medals named? Even if not named, if might still be with his named Mercantile Marine medal and BWM. Where/how would I start looking? I'm not over-optimistic about finding it, but I won't know if I don't try!

Thanks

Patrick

If you like these helmets (whatever they're called), there are a number for sale on CSmilitaria website.

Patrick

I have absolutely no Polish connections, other than the fact that I know my mother, a Red Cross nurse, looked after Polish servicemen at North Manchester Auxiliary Hospital during the war. However, this is all fascinating! I have nothing but respect for the men who were forced out of their own land and fought back so passionately.

Patrick

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