My British Headdress Collection **RECOMMENDED**

[Stuart Bates]

Couldn't leave this Western Australian Boer War helmet out. It features the Guelphic Crown. Prince Albert was a German, and this crown is the crown of the Dukes of the House of Hanover.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

It came with its khaki cover which I mounted on a repro that I bought back in 1979 -

[Mervyn Mitton]

Stuart - the gilding on the Ordnance helmet is quite superb. A pleasure to have the chance to see your collection again - we must keep finding reasons for bringing it back to the top !

[FrontlineAntiques]

Which is your favourite piece Stuart?

Dan

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Stuart,

Everytime I see a new post on this thread I start from your original post and scroll through your collection.

I never tire of looking at it.

Thanks for providing so much enjoyment.

Regards

Brian

[leigh kitchen]

Do you have any Fusilier caps Stuart?

Other than a few not very exciting bottom feeder qualty pikelhauben, the most exotic headgear that I can run to are a couple of old "bearskins", which are of a patchwork bearskin construction - similar (or perhaps identical)were used about 1900- 1910 as private purchase OR's items, I've seen photos & descriptions of the patchwork construction years ago of an example worn by a RSF Volunteer Bn man.

[Stuart Bates]

Dan,

my favourite is still the Furness Yeomanry in the cavalry and Paget's Horse in the Boer War style.

Stuart

[Stuart Bates]

Leigh,

no I don't have any Fusilier caps. I was tempted once but had gone off fur headgear about that time (and yes, I remember what you said about my going off things

I do have 3 Hussar Busbies, a Scots Guards bearskin, a Tarleton and the 9th Regiment of Foot mitre cap.

Luckily I don't have a problem with moths, silverfish etc. but generally the fur caps don't survive that well and top quality ones are quite expensive.

Having said all of that there is a Dorset Yeomanry Tarleton that I would love to have but it is too expensive.

Please expand on the patchwork construction of the "bearskins" or racoon caps as I haven't come across this before - any pics?

Stuart

Edited February 20, 2010 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

Brian,

glad you like the collection. I haven't been buying of late as I am having the electricity connected - I currently operate on solar and wind power only - and it is expensive!

Major George Thomas Cavendish Paget (1853-1939) raised Paget's Horse, which formed the 19th Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry, in March 1900. They served in the 2nd Boer War in the period 1900-1901.

Here is my Paget's Horse Boer War helmet.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

The reverse angle of Paget's Horse which is of the style called "the 10th Hussars". It has a steeper front peak and rear brim than the regulation pattern but not as much as the "smart" helmet mentioned in the 1900 Dress Regulations.

[leigh kitchen]

I'll sort out some photos - the fur skins are actually comprised of small offcuts of bearskin sewn together & stretched over the wicker frame rather than one or two large pieces, so that from the inside the caps have the appearance of a black patchwork, although this isn't apparent from the outside.

Some of the fusilier caps worn by The Drums of 1st Bn The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers during the 1970's were dated as far back as 1913 & still in good order & in wear, bearing in mind that they would have spent decades in storage rather than in use (I noticed one pair of dark blue trousers worn by The Drums was dated 1922, these would have been Royal Fusilier issue originally as RRF adopted the wide red trouser stripe of RF when formed in 1968), rather than the thinner infantry stripe of ts other component regiments).

A 5th Foot Tarleton went at aucton at Wallis & Wallis years ago -I would have loved that, I think it was William Head's - no way I could afford it.

That 9th Foot mitre .... nice......

I wish I'd made the effort to pck up one of those old Austrian fur caps that were around the auctions in Brtain 20 or so years ago - but I did'nt, could'nt afford them.

[Stuart Bates]

Here is a photo of the "smart" helmet. It's the one on the right. Best I could do. Doesn't look at all comfortable!

[Stuart Bates]

I bought a repro in 1979 and then nothing until 1995. Big mistake as there was so much stuff around in those earlier times and at terrific prices.

You say that the "patchwork" was private purchase for OR's. Why was that? I presumed that they would have been made from "time-expired" bearskins or racoon caps. That is down to a price.

Stuart

Edited October 26, 2009 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

Mervyn,

that Ordnance Corps is among my top Blue Cloths so you will understand my earlier comment about the furniture of such helmets.

Stuart

[leigh kitchen]

.......You say that the "patchwork" was private purchase for OR's. Why was that? I presumed that they would have been made from "time-expired" bearskins or racoon caps. That is down to a price.

Stuart

The patchwork fur cap was shown in an article by one of the Fostens, I thnk it was, in an edition of "Miltary Modeling" during the late 1970's - early 1980's, the article was about a Volunteer unit & showed a photo, commenting on the appearance of the cap[ & ponting out that it was private purchase & patchwork.

I would imagine that it was good economy for the manufacturer to produce the patchwork job as it gave a use for offcuts, & good economy for the purchaser as the thng would cost less? I don't know why a Volunteer of that period would be buying his own, inferior fur cap rather than wearing the issue item though.

I've just dug out my fur caps & am now wondering oif my "patchwork" is actually ridged veining & loose stirching.

I'll take photos.

[pjac]

Stuart

What an amazing collection! Until I discovered this site the only one I'd come across where people posted British helmets was the general headgear section of Pickelhaubes .com. I know I've seen your name in there . I posted a few helmets there recently, but they got lost in the recent melt down. Seeing the recent exchanges about Yorkshire Regiments reminds me that I have a 2nd West Yorkshire Yeomanry Officer's helmet which has the central rose in gilt , rather than in silver, as described in both Carman's book and David Rowe's. I checked this with David, who said he wouldn't rule it out as being original as , to paraphrase , some of the Yeomanry C.O.s were a bit of a law unto themselves, and he said he'd seen both gilt and silver roses on Hampshire Yeomanry helmets. Any thoughts or experience?

I really like the Nothumberland Fusiliers Volunteers helmet.There was one like this, I think linked to Hexham, in Bosleys a few years ago, but beyond my means at that time.

I've only got a dozen helmets, but they include a QVC King's Royal Rifle Corps officer's home service helmet, which is the only one I've ever seen. I also acquired recently a Fife Light Horse trooper's helmet - a bit of rubbing on the skull and a small surface marks, but otherwise a very nice helmet .

Patrick

[coldstream]

Patrick.....'I've only got a dozen helmets'!!!!!! lets see them please, start your own collection thread and post them :cheers:

[Stuart Bates]

Patrick,

I have a 1st West Yorkshire Yeomanry helmet and it has a white metal rose on a brass background. Nothing in British uniforms is impossible it seems and Colonels had a great say in what their units wore. So a gilt rose could very well be the whim of their C.O.

The only other thing I would say on the topic is that since it is the "white rose of Yorkshire" I would expect a silver/white metal one. But we will never know, either way, unless another one pops up.

The Hexham grey cloth is on Bosley's Buywyze site and has been sold. I can't remember what price they were asking and I don't deal with Bosleys anymore as with a postal bid one is on a hiding to nothing!

I don't post much on Pickelhaube these days as I much prefer GMIC. I suppose I should check to see if my stuff was lost but I doubt that I would repost.

I agree with Coldstream that you should share your collection by starting your own collection thread.

Stuart

[servicepub]

Here is a corner of my 'war room'.

[leigh kitchen]

About the only thing your war room has with the room for my collection is the adjustable shelving - but my shelves only have tatty tin lids & the like on them.

I ca'nt make out the design on the ball of the grenade on the Fusilier busby - is it a numeral or a castle?

Edited November 19, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[pjac]

Patrick,

I have a 1st West Yorkshire Yeomanry helmet and it has a white metal rose on a brass background. Nothing in British uniforms is impossible it seems and Colonels had a great say in what their units wore. So a gilt rose could very well be the whim of their C.O.

The only other thing I would say on the topic is that since it is the "white rose of Yorkshire" I would expect a silver/white metal one. But we will never know, either way, unless another one pops up.

The Hexham grey cloth is on Bosley's Buywyze site and has been sold. I can't remember what price they were asking and I don't deal with Bosleys anymore as with a postal bid one is on a hiding to nothing!

I don't post much on Pickelhaube these days as I much prefer GMIC. I suppose I should check to see if my stuff was lost but I doubt that I would repost.

I agree with Coldstream that you should share your collection by starting your own collection thread.

Stuart

[pjac]

Stuart and Coldstream

Happy to post my collection, but my first attempts have failed: I think because I'm limited to 150k, according to the notes, and my existing photos are all a lot bigger. I'll have to find a way round this.Any ideas?

Patrick

[servicepub]

The Busby badge is to the 101st Fusiliers - later the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. The Cavalry helmets are (left to right, top shelf first); the 19th Alberta Dragoons, circa 1939 - the helmet plate was at the jewelers getting a much needed repair; Royal Canadian Dragoons, post-1953; Princess Louise Dragoon Guards, circa 1930; Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) post-1953; Governor General's Body Guards, Victorian; An unusual helmet in that it is a Household Cavalry style but with a Lord Strathcona's helmet plate; An 1848 pattern helmet to the Prince of Wales Canadian dragoon Guards, circa 1870; Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), King's Crown - unusual as it is in steel and not brass. Steel helmets were authorised for the LdSH in 1903 and changed to brass by 1907; Governor General's Body Guards, King's Crown - pre-1936; 25th Brant Dragoons, circa 1920; Royal Canadian Dragoons, modern - this helmet was manufactured in 2007 in time for the RCD's 125th anniversary. I assisted the regiment in the procurement.

[servicepub]

Stuart and Coldstream

Happy to post my collection, but my first attempts have failed: I think because I'm limited to 150k, according to the notes, and my existing photos are all a lot bigger. I'll have to find a way round this.Any ideas?

Patrick

Post your picture as a jpg, at 800 pixels wide or less and saved at 72 DPI. That should allow you to post.

Clive

[Stuart Bates]

Patrick,

an alternative is to upload your photos to Photobucket.com, which is free, but I think you may have to register but not sure on that.

Select My Albums and from the resultant drop down list select Albums & Upload. Then press Upload Images and select your files from the Windows File Open window.

When a photo is uploaded and you place the mouse pointer over it a list of links will be displayed. Left click on the one, then right click and select Copy, which copies the link to the clipboard. Then in your gmic post paste that link. Repeat with each posting of a helmet.

It's easy once you have done it once.

Stuart

Edited November 20, 2009 by Stuart Bates