Special Constable Photo - Metropolitan Police

[Brian Wolfe]

Hello Everyone,

Here is a photo of a Special Constable of the Metropolitan Police wearing the Queen Victoria Jubilee Medal. Sorry, the medal is very hard to make out in the photo. This photo was taken at Day's Studios, Hackney (London). The Mets hat badge can be seen in the photo and an example from my collection is shown to the left of the photo. I've added a police whistle and chain in the post and while this has no markings it did come from a Police Constable from H Division, City of London, Bethnal Green Police Station in London's East End.

I like this photo as it shows the hat badge clearly, the whistle's chain and the arm band as well as the Jubilee Medal, I was informed this was taken during the Great War era. From the officer's apparent age I wonder if he had been a regular police officer before the out break of WWI and then joined the Specials. I ask this as I don't know if Special Constables would have been awarded the Queen Victoria Jubilee Medal considering the Specials were instituted for service during WWI. I have two possible dates for the Jubilee (Police) Medal of 1887 and 1897. This would place this officer in the service well prior to 1914. I would really like to hear the thoughts of the membership regarding the possibility of the officer having served in the regular service then joining the specials for the war years. If the Metropolitan Special Constabulary was instituted during WWI then I would say this is a photo of an ex-officer serving in the specials.

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Here's a little closer look at the medal.

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

Brian - this is a lovely old photo - I will photograph the Jubilee medal for comparison. What does surprise me is the duty arm band being worn on the upper arm . From the inception of the band in 1829 it has always been worn on the lower left arm - did they move it 'up' for the photograph ? The badge on his cap cannot be the same as the one you show (unless yours has lugs) - they were made with a lapel attachment for wear in civilian dress. Raises some interesting questions...

I missed your question on if it is possible he could be an old regular , brought back for War`Service. I think you are probably 'spot-on'with this observation. They wore civvies, so rather like 'Dad's Army' in 1940 - you wore what you had from the past. This would account for the tunic, the cap and, very importanly, the armband.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Mervyn Mitton

[Ian Shepherd]

Mervyn, that badge was made with both buttonhole and lug fittings ian

[Brian Wolfe]

Brian - this is a lovely old photo - I will photograph the Jubilee medal for comparison. What does surprise me is the duty arm band being worn on the upper arm . From the inception of the band in 1829 it has always been worn on the lower left arm - did they move it 'up' for the photograph ? The badge on his cap cannot be the same as the one you show (unless yours has lugs) - they were made with a lapel attachment for wear in civilian dress. Raises some interesting questions...

I missed your question on if it is possible he could be an old regular , brought back for War`Service. I think you are probably 'spot-on'with this observation. They wore civvies, so rather like 'Dad's Army' in 1940 - you wore what you had from the past. This would account for the tunic, the cap and, very importanly, the armband.

Hi Mervyn,

Mine is the lapel attachment style.

Regards

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

I have never seen one of these badges with both fittings - thank-you Ian. Do you have one - would be interesting to see how they fit both on the small back ?

[Vickers Dunfee]

Hello Everyone,

Here is a photo of a Special Constable of the Metropolitan Police wearing the Queen Victoria Jubilee Medal. Sorry, the medal is very hard to make out in the photo. This photo was taken at Day's Studios, Hackney (London). The Mets hat badge can be seen in the photo and an example from my collection is shown to the left of the photo. I've added a police whistle and chain in the post and while this has no markings it did come from a Police Constable from H Division, City of London, Bethnal Green Police Station in London's East End.

I like this photo as it shows the hat badge clearly, the whistle's chain and the arm band as well as the Jubilee Medal, I was informed this was taken during the Great War era. From the officer's apparent age I wonder if he had been a regular police officer before the out break of WWI and then joined the Specials. I ask this as I don't know if Special Constables would have been awarded the Queen Victoria Jubilee Medal considering the Specials were instituted for service during WWI. I have two possible dates for the Jubilee (Police) Medal of 1887 and 1897. This would place this officer in the service well prior to 1914. I would really like to hear the thoughts of the membership regarding the possibility of the officer having served in the regular service then joining the specials for the war years. If the Metropolitan Special Constabulary was instituted during WWI then I would say this is a photo of an ex-officer serving in the specials.

Regards

Brian

Brian

This is certainly an interesting photo. H division has always been Metropolitan not City of London but in answer to your question about this man being an ex regular this is absolutely possible. When the SC was set up as a standing force there were 4 sections A to D of which A specials were mainly police pensioners. I have never seen the duty band worn in this way and I am sitting here trying to think which arm the Met wore theirs on because I think it may be on the wrong arm (City of London officers still have the band but it is worn on one side by Pcs and on the other as Sgts) also there are no 'collar numbers', the whistle is being worn in the 'City' fashion rather than the 'Met' fashion and then as worn on the old great coat not tunic and I would have thought a retired regular would have known better, could he have been an ex service man? Finally the use of a tunic may indicate that this is very late in WW1 or possibly afterwards.

[Brian Wolfe]

Hi VIckers,

Thanks for the additional information. I would not have known about the correct arm on which to wear the band and the wearing of the whistle being in the City fashion. I've a lot to learn.

Were the aluminum brassards not worn high on the arm as well as the cloth arm bands? If this is so then could this be why the band is so high on the arm in the photo?

Thnaks again.

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

As Vickers mentions the City had their own rules for dress. The Met. always wore the duty band on the left arm. Brassards were made to be worn on the upper arm for visibility - the arm band was not - I think - but open to correction - worn by Specials at this time. They actually were not issued a uniform. The Met. wear the whistle with the hook in the top button hole and the whistle goes into the special small pocket under the second button of the greatcoat and for the tunic, into the top left pocket.

[Vickers Dunfee]

As Vickers mentions the City had their own rules for dress. The Met. always wore the duty band on the left arm. Brassards were made to be worn on the upper arm for visibility - the arm band was not - I think - but open to correction - worn by Specials at this time. They actually were not issued a uniform. The Met. wear the whistle with the hook in the top button hole and the whistle goes into the special small pocket under the second button of the greatcoat and for the tunic, into the top left pocket.

The issue of uniforms to SCs varied widely around the country but the Met were amongst the first if not actually the first to issue uniforms but the early issue was a flat cap, greatcoat and I think trousers (as pictured elesewhere on this site) so hense my thought that this photo of a tunic was towards the end of WW1. Other forces took some time to do much and there were a couple of promptings from the Home Office. In at least one force the headgear issued was something similar to a trilby with a specially produced hat band, I have never seen a photo of one of these but I live in hope, must be one in a force museum somewhere.

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Mervyn Mitton]

[Brian Wolfe]

Thanks for posting the Jubiliee Medal Mervyn.

I've never had one of these in my collection so I was unable to add one to this post.

Such additions as well as comments and information enrich posts and make this a more educational forum.

Thanks again.

Regards

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

This was an interesting postcard, Brian. Part of a series of cards we had bought years ago, but never put out - not the sort of thing we sell. However, it is almost the counterpart of your card - except that it is dated 1915 - which helps with both.

What it does , is turns upside down our theories on duty armbands and uniforms.... He is wearing the same badge as on yours - so, Metropolitan Police. The uniform is issue - so they must have been given them - at least in the Met.. The duty band - on the upper arm, is probably intended to take the place of County pressed metal plaques. I am wondering if in this position it was intended to show the person as a 'Special'. The alternative is that the two cloth straps sewn onto the regulars sleeve to hold the band, were not present for Specials and the band would have slipped off.

What do you and others think ? ( I will send you the photo - makes it better to keep them together)

[Mervyn Mitton]

Would help if I included the card....

[Mervyn Mitton]

[NickLangley]

Judging by the coat I'm going to suggest that this SC was involved in driving a vehicle during his duties and so wore his duty armband so that: 1) it didn't snag and 2) was visible from outside the vehicle.

[Vickers Dunfee]

I think it unlikely that the original picture was of a driver. MSC motor transport was supplied by the HQ Department and known as the AA Section which was formed in January 1915 and went through to the stand down in 1919, so if the SC is H Div he would not have been a driver. The duty band was issued to MSC from the start in 1914 and obvioulsy was worn high on the left arm, I learn something new each day. Badges of rank were worn on the right arm hence the 'white' band in the second picture.

[Tom King]

Interesting photos which clearly show the Metropolitan Special Constabulary uniform for the Great War period. Without a doubt the method of wearing the duty band high on the left arm was to distinguish and identify them as Specials. It is likely that the pensioner above retired before 1897 hence no apparent bar on his jubilee medal, the ornate pin device is interesting as it looks reminisant of the later Visit to Ireland and Scotland pin devices.