British Police Helmet Plates and Cap Badges

[Mike McLellan]

Since this thread has been resurrected, I may as well jump in. I haven't added any insignia to my collection since the late 1980s. My interests are only of the Met & COL. and you can imagine how hard it's been to find these things out on the frozen tundra! The Taylor/Wilkinson book, along with Mervyn's, have kept my collecting spirit alive, although It's been in the doldrums for quite some time.

This display contains my collection of Met & City insignia, as well as other things that are marginally related, such as the Civil Volunteer Force, the martingale badges, etc. Some of the things are spurious or questionable in authenticity, and the rank insignia is clumsily inaccurate. One of the plates is an outright fake! I know because I made it myself (EviiiR). Another plate is a curiosity that's been nagging me  since I got it. Its inclusion is simply as that; a curiosity. Anyway, it's far from complete, but my wife still allows it to hang in the living room! Cheers, Mike.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Mike  -  a nice collection  -  with some interesting badges.   Your two rarest are probably the ones with the silvered numerals in the centre of the plates.  Nice to see you have one of the old police box keys with the whistle -- that was the same as mine.  Keep collecting the older ones get rarer all the time.   Mervyn 

 

 

[Stewart Rivers]

Hi Brian,

I have just found this very interesting site, I am a retired Met Police Superintendent and have just started to collect Met memorabilia as well as my home Force of Beds Constabulary.

I have recently purchased a large number of Luton police, Luton Borough police and Bedfordshire Constabulary helmet and cap badges.  Part of this collection are a day and night  Luton Borough police helmet plates and a number of cap badges too.

In light of your earlier comments "I would suspect that the Luton County Borough Police Force, 1964 - 1966, would have had helmets sporting the Queen's Crown, which is probably quite scarce, given the short time of the Force's existence", I have added a couple of pictures that support your hypothesis. 

Both helmet plates do in fact have the Queens Crown on them.

All the best, 

Stewart

[Dave Wilkinson]

As you say, it would be reasonable to assume that because of their short lived existence, insignia from the Luton County Borough Police (1964-66) would be difficult to find. That is certainly not the case. It would seem that the force spent lavishly on badges (and buttons) of various patterns and in very large numbers. It was a fair sized force by "Borough" standards and it rapidly increased its strength during its short existence. The County Borough Corporation, basking in its newly found municipal status obviously told its Watch Committee that money was no object. I recall writing to the force (as a young boy) in 1964 asking for a helmet badge. Almost by return a "Kodak* box arrived containing a variety of the new badges. Sent with his compliments and without charge, the CC said in the accompanying letter. Happy days! I still have them. Luton's badges (mainly the helmet plates) are still to be easily had to-day which is an indication of the large stocks which must have been bought. 

Dave.

Edited April 10, 2018 by Dave Wilkinson

[Dave Wilkinson]

Stewart,

The attached image may be of interest to you.

Dave.

[coldstream]

Dave,

That is an excellent collection, many thanks for showing us.

Simon.

[Stewart Rivers]

Hi Dave,

Very impressive collection and really picture.

All the best,

Stewart

 

Since this thread has been resurrected, I may as well jump in. I haven't added any insignia to my collection since the late 1980s. My interests are only of the Met & COL. and you can imagine how hard it's been to find these things out on the frozen tundra! The Taylor/Wilkinson book, along with Mervyn's, have kept my collecting spirit alive, although It's been in the doldrums for quite some time.

This display contains my collection of Met & City insignia, as well as other things that are marginally related, such as the Civil Volunteer Force, the martingale badges, etc. Some of the things are spurious or questionable in authenticity, and the rank insignia is clumsily inaccurate. One of the plates is an outright fake! I know because I made it myself (EviiiR). Another plate is a curiosity that's been nagging me  since I got it. Its inclusion is simply as that; a curiosity. Anyway, it's far from complete, but my wife still allows it to hang in the living room! Cheers, Mike.

Hi Mike,

Very impressive collection, although I served in the Met from 1979 - 2009, I have only just started to collect additional memorabilia.  I have kept lots of pieces throughout my service that were pertinent to my career, including pictures and statements of some of my cases and managed by way of the Freedom of Information Act  to obtain my complete service record.

I have purchased a couple of Met KGVI Special Constabulary badges but notice some have different colours within the Kings Crown.  Do you know the significance of them?

Many thanks,

Stewart Rivers

[Stewart Rivers]

I had to go to St. James tube station this morning and it reminded me of my last years based at the 1960s New Scotland Yard where I had my final posting until I retired in September 2009.  To my amazement all that is left now is a blue hording and a massive hole in the ground.  RIP NSY (I know that the new new NSY is in the old Cannon Row police station on the North side of the Thames near Westminster Bridge on the Embankment, but it does not have the gravitas of the old building.   However, that said it is almost next door now to the old Great Scotland Yard, so it has gone full circle.

[Dave Wilkinson]

 

Hi Dave,

Very impressive collection and really picture.

All the best,

Stewart

Hi Mike,

Very impressive collection, although I served in the Met from 1979 - 2009, I have only just started to collect additional memorabilia.  I have kept lots of pieces throughout my service that were pertinent to my career, including pictures and statements of some of my cases and managed by way of the Freedom of Information Act  to obtain my complete service record.

I have purchased a couple of Met KGVI Special Constabulary badges but notice some have different colours within the Kings Crown.  Do you know the significance of them?

Many thanks,

Stewart Rivers

Stewart,

The colours in the Crowns signify different ranks. I'll try to get this right, White Crown= Commandant;

Blue Crown= Chief Inspector; Red Crown= Inspector; Yellow Crown= Sergeant; Plain Crown=Constable.

Hope this is helpful.

Dave.

 

[Stewart Rivers]

Thanks Dave,

So I just need to get the white and blue crowns to fill my collection then.  Just missed out on the blue crown yesterday by £1.

All the best,

Stewart

[Stewart Rivers]

 

Hi Brian,

I managed to purchase this book off the Internet and have read it from cover to cover, very interesting indeed.

All the best,

Stewart Rivers

[Deelibob]

In the Liverpool Police the straw helmets were known as " A Donkeys Breakfast "

[Deelibob]

Constble 72"A" of the Liverpool Police posing for the Camera on Lime Street " with his donkeys breakfast" during the Transport Strike of 1911. Members of the Birmingham City Police marching towards St Georges Hall to take up positions, shortly after rioting broke out and terrible injuries sustained by both Police and Transport strikers/supporters alike. A KPM was won that day by a Birmingham Constable who went to the aid of an isolated and badly injured Birmingham  Superintendent. The Constable was severely injured too.