The Endley Collection-Starting a helmet/headdress room

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After their two excellent books on military pith and wolseley helmets respectively, I have been influenced and encouraged by Peter Siciu and Stauart Bates to focus more on this very fascinating aspect of militaria collecting.

Due to the nature of the work that I do, I am often abroad and do not spend as much time as I would like on displaying and maintaining my collection.

These postings depict the beginnings of my helmet and headdress display.

I have had my computer room/office converted to a helmet display area in my house.

Regards,

Will

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OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM

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SOME OF THE EARLY SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE AND PRISONS SECTION, DETAILS TO FOLLOW

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Some "polo" helmets used by the Union Defence Force during World War 2. The Wolseley helmets in the photograph were used in South Africa before 1936 and include a rare helmet to the 5th South African Infantry that was worn in East Africa during WW1. Another helmet is to the 9th South African Infantry or "Sportsman"s Battalion for the WW1 East African campaign.

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The two South African Airforce ceremonial helmets which were worn before and during WW2 respectively. They are the white helmets with "eagle" spikes below the brodie helmet with the tank mask. To the left of the tank mask is a Brodie WW1 helmet with it's original camouflage paint still visible.

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The Brodie helmets in the photograph were re-issued during WW2 and were used by the 23rd and 25th Gas Companies from the South African Engineer Corps.

The white polo helmet on the bottom right shelf was worn by the State President's Guard and was based on the WW2 South African UDF design.

The scarce grey-green polo helmet was worn before WW2 by the Pretoria Regiment.

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Some other headdress types and variations.

The white cap is a senior's officer cap in the then-South African Railways Police.

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An early South African Police cap worn between 1922 and 1926.

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Very early South African Prison's Department officer's cap.

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South African Railway Police pith helmets and a very unique riot/urban helmet converted from a gold/coal miner's helmet.

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South African Police Wolseley pattern type helmets.

The helmet with the white metal badge on the far right was issued to non-white member's and is regarded as being very rare.

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Vietnamese and British Royal Marine Commando helmets.

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CLOSE-UP PHOTOGRAPH OF MARINE COMMANDO HELMETS

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AMERICAN, ETHIOPIAN, GERMAN AND ITALIAN PITH HELMETS

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Some very attractive Italian headdress examples.

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Bombay bowler helmet that I purchased in Baghdad in 2004, Italian helmet and a very interesting Italian "polo" helmet that may have been captured from South African forces at Tobruk.

It has Italian military medical insignia on it.

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Wolseley helmet purchased in the souk, Omdurman.

[pjac]

An excellent and fascinating display . Thanks, Patrick

[leigh kitchen]

Puts my "similar" room to shame - the helmets & the decor.

[joe campbell]

doesn't get much more impressive.

well done!

joe

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Thank you all for the interest and kind words.

Regards,

Will

[Stuart Bates]

Hi Will,

you certainly haven't wasted any time in collecting sun helmets

I am intrigued by the blue police ones and am left wondering whether the blue Wolseleys that I found in the York Castle Museum may after all be prototypes for a police force.

Stuart

[Peter_Suciu]

I missed this one earlier this year, and I'm sorry. This is simply a fantastic collection of sun helmets! Truly top notch stuff.

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Some updates.

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