King's Dragoon Guards

[Stuart Bates]

Here is my King's Dragoon Guards helmet of the 1847 pattern. It came with a quilted cloth cover and a transit tin with appropriate label. The KDGs served in India from 1857 - 1860 and took part in the Mutiny fighting.

Edited May 24, 2009 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

With cover.

[Stuart Bates]

Side view.

[Stuart Bates]

With cover.

Edited May 24, 2009 by Stuart Bates

[Stuart Bates]

The transit tin showing the baggage label Madras to Southampton.

[Mike Dwyer]

Fantastic, Stuart! I love those cavalry helmets!

[Stuart Bates]

Hi Mike,

funny but I went off cavalry helmets a few years ago and concentrated on Blue Cloths, forage caps and sun helmets. Especially the last (see my topic on Military Sun Helmets).

However, here is a photo of my cavalry collection although it is a little out of date.

Stuart

[leigh kitchen]

You've got more examples of things you've gone off than I've got of things I'm gone on. Lovely lids.

[Stuart Bates]

Very funny, Leigh. I guess that I have just been lucky but I would love to see your collection.

I only collect headdress, but I think your collecting ranges much wider.

Stuart

PS: Fuller's London Pride and/or Double Diamond

Edited May 24, 2009 by Stuart Bates

[Mervyn Mitton]

Stuart - Fantastic !! I read your IM before opening - I will hold back on my 1st Dragoon Helmet for now. Some 35 years ago I decided to start a serious collection - the choice was between Helmets or, Police. Still in the Met. then , I decided on Police -

partly because helmets take-up space. I have often wished I had made the other decision - and seeing your collection - and it is obviously only part - I wish I could have afforded both. You should put your collection on that display sub-forum, where all members could see it . Mervyn

[Mike Dwyer]

WOW! I love the Victorian style helmets, but I see you also have one of my older favorites. I don't know the proper name for it, but it's the one with the tremendous black fur crest on it.

[Stuart Bates]

Mike,

you mean this one? It is the 1818 pattern and to the 2nd Dragoon Guards. It's a heavy bugger so the DGs must have been large men.

[Stuart Bates]

Mervyn,

I hope to get the collection professionally photographed as a whole this week. When it's done I will post.

Stuart

[Mike Dwyer]

Mike,

you mean this one? It is the 1818 pattern and to the 2nd Dragoon Guards. It's a heavy bugger so the DGs must have been large men.

Yes, that's the one! It looks like it would be heavy. In all of the paintings and drawings I've seen of soldiers and officers wearing this model helmet they looked amazingly graceful, although a bit top heavy!

Edited May 25, 2009 by Mike Dwyer

[Mike Dwyer]

Stuart, the shako that is on the same shelf as the 1818 heavy dragoon helmet, is that an early hussar shako from the pre-busby days or a light dragoon shako, the predecessors of the hussars?

Edited May 25, 2009 by Mike Dwyer

[Stuart Bates]

Mike,

I don't know to what unit that shako belongs but it is early Victorian period. I bought it from Blunderbuss in London many years ago but they could not identify it and I haven't been able to since. It might be a Yeomanry unit but, as I say, I haven't been able to identify it.

Tomorrow I will look at it again and probably post it as a separate topic for ID. Someone out there will know :)

[leigh kitchen]

..................PS: Fuller's London Pride and/or Double Diamond

Are those the empty bottles you're using as display stands? (I actually have a few pikelhauben propped up on empty lager cans at the moment, prior to sorting out my display area).

[Stuart Bates]

Leigh,

I use perspex tubes which I have now covered with black stockings to give a better look. I had little cushions made up and these fit in the crown of the helmet and cushion (yes I meant that) the helmet from the edge of the tube as well as distribute the weight better.

My photographer friend Nick was up here yesterday to photograph that ADC's Wolseley and so I had him do the collection as a whole as well. When he has finished editing the photos I will post in the collections area.

Stuart

[leigh kitchen]

Brilliant, I look forward to a guided tour on thread.