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    My British Headdress Collection **RECOMMENDED**


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    Thanks Jim, your comments are greatly appreciated.

    I went into a hiatus of collecting for several years, many reasons, but I'm back now and the feedback from the forum has just reinforced my determination to add to my collection. In fact I just ordered another helmet yesterday, the 4th this year. Actually, my friend Peter S was most instrumental in rekindling my interest.

    Here is another of my favourites,

    London Volunteers Tarleton Helmet circa 1810

    Stuart

    Edited by Stuart Bates
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    Well I've seen the odd bit of British Headgear amongst some collectors back home. But by and large, I clicked on this thread with the very mistaken expectation of tommy helmets and caps with perhaps the odd 1 or 2 'pieces de resistance'!

    What I did see here was pure quality that supercedes by far any private collection that I have personally come across in the last 17 years!! Each piece is a 'piece de resistance' in itself. I just cannot express enough admiration at the quality of your collection!!

    My very best regards and congratulations!

    Jim

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    Dear Jim,

    I know a lot of collectors are very secretive about their collections but obviously I'm not. What I have is not solely for my private pleasure, although I derive a great deal of that, but these treasures are to be shared. Once again, thanks for your kind comments.

    Stuart

    Forage Cap circa 1840

    IPB Image

    Edited by Stuart Bates
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    • 1 month later...

    Hi Servicepub,

    these are a couple of nice helmets and in very good condition. I have seen a few Canadian helmets through the years and was once tempted by a GG's Body Guard but stuck to British. These helmets are based on the 1871 pattern of Heavy Cavalry but you probably already know that.

    BTW: what material are the heads you use for mounting the helmets made of?

    Cheers,

    Stuart

    Edited by Stuart Bates
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    The heads are full-size and are of ceramic. They are the best that I have ever found for display. A friend of mine found them in Kingston, Ontario so I cannot quote a price or current availability. If you are interested I can try to track the gent down but shipping to Oz may prove to be prohibitive.

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    servicepub,

    I started out by using glass heads but quickly found that the majority of headdress was far too small. I now use perspex tubes with generous fabric padding to the top and this seems to work well. I toyed with the idea of lining the tubes with black paper but never progressed that idea - might take it up again. And yes the ceramic heads would be too expensive now and may suffer the same problem as the glass ones, not to mention the shipping costs.

    Laurence,

    no problems. Sharing is what the forum is all about. I am expecting a Royal Artillery blue cloth any day now as I have had my interest in these helmets rekindled and only had 1 ball top - now 2, soon to go to 3.

    Stuart

    Edited by Stuart Bates
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    • 2 years later...

    Stuart - I have said it before - I think this is one of the finer collections and all in such wonderful condition. My favourite has to be the bell Top Shako, but, closely followed by the Gentleman at Arms.

    Peter is hoping to become a museum curator - doesn't bode well for the museum when you can't spot a billiard table !!! (Sorry , Peter !)

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    • 3 months later...

    More -

    1901-1911 West Riding Of Yorkshire Yeomanry

    <img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/stuart_bates/EastRidingYorkshireYeomanry1910.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />

    Northumberland Fusiliers Volunteers

    <img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/stuart_bates/NorthumberlandFusiliers1stVolunteer.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />

    1899-1902 4th (Lancaster) regiment

    <img src="http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/stuart_bates/4thLancs.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />

    Stuart

    Hi Stuart

    Just admiring the collection

    Do you have an East Riding Yeo helmet? Did the East and West R Yeo use the same helmet plate/badege?

    Dan

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    Dan,

    the helmet that I described as the West Riding is actually the East Riding of Yorkshire.

    As far as I can tell the West Riding had -

    The Yorkshire Hussars

    The Yorkshire Dragoons

    The 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry

    These all seem to have used the white rose in their helmet plates whereas the East Riding had a fox in full flight.

    Stuart

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    Looking at these helmets is getting me more interested in "collecting" a few. They're beautiful but out of my league. The last time I showed an interest in "quality" (& very expensive) headgear was a couple of years ago when an 18th century British mitre & a Waterloo shako cropped up on ebay, but I held back as it was ebay & I could'nt examine the items. Years before that it was a Hanoverian pikelhaube at auction, an 1847 pattern or whatever the exact date is, identifable by damage as coming from a well known American collection - but when I got my hands on that I lost all interest as it was a mess, probably the only orignal component being the much damaged & badly repaired shell of the thing.

    A nice old Northumberland Fusiliers fur cap would suit me nicely at the moment.

    Did the Yorkshire Hussars ever wear helmets?

    Here's a photo of a Yorkshire Hussar in busby, 1921 I think this is dated.

    Mike Chappell illustration of Yorkshire Hussars & East Riding Yeaomanry, 1914.

    There is an illustration of the East Riding Yeo's tschapska & helmet plate in one of his books, I have'nt located it yet.

    Edited by leigh kitchen
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    Hi Leigh,

    the Yorkshire Hussars originally wore the Light Dragoon helmet i.e. the Tarleton, but changed to a shako in 1817. According to Carman the Busby was adopted in 1856 and was worn from then on.

    The Yorkshire Dragoons adopted a white metal helmet, of the 1871 pattern, in 1876 and it is interesting that it had the acanthus leaf plume holder, associated with the 1847 pattern helmet. The fluted plume holder came later.

    The 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry adopted the 1847 pattern helmet just before the Crimean War - I don't have a specific date.

    Carman's book on Yeomanry headdress has a photo of an East Riding tschapska that has a quite different plate to mine but then describes the lance plate that mine has.

    There is a lovely illustration of an officer of the East Riding Yeomanry in a book by R.G. Harris 50 Years of Yeomanry Uniforms.

    It also appears that the lance cap was worn only by officers and only from 1906-

    I have had a couple of big wins on eBay but also a couple of duds - one so bad that I sent it back. These days I have dealers (whom I trust) offer me stuff which often comes from their private collections. Never cheap but always of good quality.

    I know that you, and Graham, are keen on the Northumberland Fusiliers. If I see anything will let you know.

    Stuart

    Edited by Stuart Bates
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    Dan,

    the helmet that I described as the West Riding is actually the East Riding of Yorkshire.

    As far as I can tell the West Riding had -

    The Yorkshire Hussars

    The Yorkshire Dragoons

    The 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry

    These all seem to have used the white rose in their helmet plates whereas the East Riding had a fox in full flight.

    Stuart

    Hi Stuart

    The E R Yeo is a favourite of mine as i hail from Bridlington, and i have been collecting examples of their livery for some time now.

    Your Tarleton (?) is an amzing piece, but i fear it is also a little out of my league at the present time!

    Once i get time i will post some shots of my small collection

    Dan

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