My Canadian Headdress Collection

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Spurred on by Stuart and by viewing the fabulous collections of other GMIC members I thought that I would post some photos of my modest accumulation

First, some of my helmets;

A steel helmet to the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians). A steel helmet was only approved for a short period in the early 1900s. By 1907 only the brass helmet was authorised for this regiment.

Edited November 21, 2009 by servicepub

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A Queen's Crown helmet (post-1953) to the LdSH

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A very rare helmet to the 19th Alberta Dragoons. This Regiment only acquired brass helmets in time for the 1939 Royal Visit of King George V and Queen Elizabeth. Although not confirmed it would appear that they obtained helmets from the Inniskilling Dragoon Guards but these were supplied with neither stem nor plume. The plumes were obtained from the Lord Strathcona's Horse (RC) but the Alberta Dragoons were forced to jury-rig a brass tube in lieu of the spike. The helmet plate is also cobbled together by using the wreath from the (white cloth) helmet plate of the 19th Alberta Mounted Rifles (an earlier incarnation of the 19AD) and a cap badge from the 19th Alberta Dragoons and then placing both on a generic star.

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A Victorian-era steel helmet to the Governor General's Horse Guards, of Toronto. The plume is a Horse Guards replacement which has since been replaced with the appropriate pattern.

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A King's Crown example to the 25th Brant Dragoons. Another hard-to-come-by helmet.

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My favourite, an 1848 pattern helmet to the Prince of Wales Canadian Dragoon Guards, circa 1870.

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A quick look at a corner of my "war room". I will update this photo after I have tidied up a bit.

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Now for some of my forage caps.

An officer's cap to the 74th (New Brunswick Rangers).

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A cap to the 47th Frontenac Battalion of Infantry.

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The following caps conform to the pattern described in the 1898 Militia Dress Regulations. This is a pattern that is highly undercollected and one of my favourites. Below is an officer's cap to an unidentified Fusilier regiment. Note the use of the Maple Leaf embroidery as used by the Canadian Militia.

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A cap to the Canadian Army Service Corps. Although the cap is Canadian-made the badge is actually British - a common occurence as the UK supplied better quality badges in the pre-WWI era.

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A cap to the 8th Canadian Hussars. The Canadian Militia mirrored the Dress of the British Army.

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Two caps to the 26th Stanstead Horse. One shows an unofficial velvet cap band (with replaced chin-strap) while the other displays the removeable white top authorised for wear during Summer months.

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A cap to the 63rd (Halifax Rifles). Unfortunately the peak is seriously glazed.

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A cap to the 43rd Reg’t (The Duke of Cornwall’s Own Rifles). As the 43rd was not a "Royal" regiment they were not entitled to a red cap band.

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Another corner;

[Stuart Bates]

"Spurned on by Stuart". Why Clive I have never spurned you

I love the early forage caps and please don't delay too long in posting the Colonials, Blue cloths and Wolseleys. Especially the Canadian Rifles Colonial pattern - I never tire of seeing that one!

Stuart

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"Spurned on by Stuart". Why Clive I have never spurned you

I love the early forage caps and please don't delay too long in posting the Colonials, Blue cloths and Wolseleys. Especially the Canadian Rifles Colonial pattern - I never tire of seeing that one!

Stuart

Ooops! Typo corrected "Spurred on by Stuart"

Clive

[coldstream]

Excellent Clive, could I put in a request for the Guards caps for close ups please.

Thanks Simon :cheers:

[Stuart Bates]

Clive,

what are those two later style forage caps with the white band and the white piping? They look very much like the Coldstream Guards. Are they an affiliated Canadian regiment?

Stuart

[coldstream]

Thats the one's I'm after...Coldstream Guards of Canada?

Edited November 21, 2009 by coldstream

[servicepub]

My old Regiment is the Governor General's Foot Guards. Based in Ottawa, Ontario this Regiment was raised in 1872 and has been allied to the Coldstream Guards since its inception. The GGFG wear uniforms similar in most respects to that of the CG but with minor differences befitting their seniority in Canada (plume worn on different side of the bearskin cap) a six-pointed star and other small differences. As a mark of respect to the CG the GGFG wear thier buttons paired.

The cap show here is my old cap, with silver officer's badge. The cap was purchased from a former officer of the Canadian Guards and the buttons were never changed.

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A cap to the GGFG as worn by the RSM. The cap displays the 1930's pattern badge which is worn only by the RSM today.

[coldstream]

Clive

Thanks for posting these,do you have an approximate date of manufacture for the Sergeant Majors cap. The reason I ask is that from the scan the capband appears to be made of material, ours have been replaced with a manmade plastic like substance. I know the cap worn by both my Grandfather and Father had material bands but obviously these were issued years ago?

[pjac]

Clive

An excellent collection. Thanks for the posts so far. I particularly like the various caps, which are things which don't normally grab me. Do all four corners of your room contain headgear?

Patrick