British Police Helmet

Visitors to website

Need a display feature?
Advice on period police TV and stage productions?
Welsh Police ancestry history researched.
*See page link left - Police History Society of Wales*

Victorian spike topped helmet c.1890

Welcome. Please enjoy your journey through my collection.

My name is Ross Mather. I live in Bridgend, South Wales U.K. I retired from South Wales Police after 30 years service in the South Wales and Manchester areas. My police helmet collection (approximately 110 helmets) has been built up during that time.

My other collecting interest is Welsh police force insignia. Most badges and old police forces in Wales are but distant memories. The names reflect the police forces that used to exist many years ago in the older Welsh counties, towns and boroughs. Now, there are only four current police forces in Wales. The rest ? - all resigned to the history books. Currently in my collection, there are over 200 different items of insignia, mainly from the older Welsh police forces. Some items date back to the 19th Century.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE DONATED HELMETS & MEMORABILIA TO THIS COLLECTION. EVERY ITEM WILL BE PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY AND USED ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR HISTORICAL DISPLAYS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

I am researching Welsh police history, and am keenly searching for any items that I could use
especially photographs. CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE? In time I hope to publish an informative historical record and reference book about the police forces of Wales.

Most of the police helmets you will see here are of former Borough and City police forces which no longer exist, swallowed up in amagamation after amalgamation. There are a number of County police force helmets, mainly dating from the 1950's and 1960's. Some date back into the late Victorian period c.1890.

You will see many older Welsh police helmets. My ultimate quest is to recover and preserve as many police helmets as I can, so that in the future, anyone will have a single point of reference to these historical items, which in the main no longer exist. Without doubt, this will become significant and historically important collection and one that needs to be preserved for the future. There are plans for Museum exhibitions in 2010.

CAN YOU HELP BY ADDING A POLICE HELMET, PHOTOGRAPH OR BADGE TO THE COLLECTION? PLEASE CONTACT ME AND HELP PRESERVE THESE ITEMS FOR THE FUTURE. THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT COLLECTIONS OF ITS KIND.

The vast majority of older helmets have been lost forever, due to the fact that most were handed back in and destroyed at force level. Surviving helmets were often discarded after the badge was removed i.e. by insignia collectors. From personal experience I know it is easier to display a frame full of badges, rather than display them on the original helmets.

If you have a police helmet, or military helmet, it is very important to give careful thought to the environment and atmoshphere in which it is kept. An attic or garage would seem the obvious choice to store a box in some convenient corner... a decision that you may well live to regret. Extremes in temperature, especially in an attic, or in a damp garage, the possibility of 'creepy crawlies' which enjoy eating the helmet materials, all of thes can quickly reduce grandad's police helmet into something a far cry from what it might have been when you initially stored it away. You can't replace the past. I hope that you enjoy viewing the collection. My website has created for no other reason than to give others an opportunity to see these historical items.

*Click on photo to enlarge*

Sir Robert Peel

The evolution of law enforcement and policing in England and Wales goes back to Anglo-Saxon times. It is a complex subject, and many a website could be dedicated to that subject alone.

Suffice to say that in 1829, Sir Robert Peel passed the Metropolitan Police Act, and from that time, London had its very first organised police force. One important provision of the Bill was that the police force was to wear a standard uniform, consisting of blue swallow tailed coat and blue trousers for wear during the winter period, changing to white trousers for the summer.

At this time the headwear was a tall top hat. Made from beaver, it was strengthened with leather side pieces, and a thick leather crown. On the inside was a wire and cane strengthening ring, which gave strength and ridgidity to the hat.

1863 New style helmet trialed, based on the military 'Prussian' helmet.
1865 New style helmet adopted.
1867 The Inspectors of Constabulary report showed that there were 237 police forces established in England and Wales. Each Chief Constable would have had his own idea on the type and style of uniform and would have been free to experiment with helmet and uniform for their respective force.

The historian or collector will come across various shapes in helmet design, such as the Coxcomb, the Rose top, and the Ball top, and these have continued up until the present day. Throughout England and Wales regional preferences have remained for many years.

There were several variations in materials...i.e. Luton and Salisbury had hats made from plaited straw, and during summer months, some forces such as Swansea, Southend and Peterborough wore a white coloured helmet (see photo). Senior officers helmets tended to be more ornate, with additional metal or silver fittings.

"This apple looks a bit sus to me Mike!!!"

Constable Mike Gunter, Gwent Constabulary (right) and myself Constable Ross Mather, South Wales Constabulary (left) during an I.P.A. / town twinning exchange visit in Austria.

Victorian period Glamorgan Constabulary helmet

Close up photograph of the Glamorgan Constabulary helmet in the 1890's. The helmet design remained the same up until 1963, when Glamorgan changed to a rose top design helmet.

Glamorgan Constables (Pontypridd) c. 1914

ABOVE: Constable B.83 Edward Grace (joined 6.3.1909) and Constable B.210 John Evans (joined 13.4.1912). Photographed at Pontypridd about 1913 or 1914.

Glamorganshire Constable (Bridgend) c.1890

ABOVE: Metropolitan 'rose top' style helmet worn late 19th century by Glamorgan. Photo taken at Bridgend.

BELOW: A photograph of a Glamorgan Constable at Aberdare, showing his late 19th century uniform kepi and badge. (See example of that Victorian badge on 'Police Badges of Wales' page).

Glamorganshire Constable (Aberdare) c. 1890

RIGHT. Victorian period c. 1895. Officers carrying a 'hangar'. This is a weapon based on the Naval cutlass. The Sergeant is wearing 2 medals - the Khedives' Star - Egypt campaign 1882 -91 and another medal which I think is the Egypt Medal - Egypt campaign 1882 -1889.

Glamorgan Constabulary c.1910

ABOVE. Group of officers one of whom at the rear far left has a 'spur' arm badge which denotes that he is also a Mounted officer. Believed to have been taken outside Pontypridd Police Station.

BELOW. A photograph I believe to be one of the Glamorgan Constabulary 'Cowbridge Sub-Division'. The Chain of Office shows the symbol for the Borough of Cowbridge. Probably taken in the 1930's.

Glamorgan Constabulary (Cowbridge) c.1930

Merthyr Tydfil or 'A' Division, Glamorgan Constabulary c.1904

BELOW

Neath Borough Police was a small police force

that ceased to exist after 1947.

It was amalgamated to in that year

to become 'N' Division of the

Glamorgan Constabulary.

Neath Borough Police 1925

ABOVE. A photograph of the Neath Borough Police
taken in 1925. This is probably the full
Borough force at that time.

PC 'B' 22 Cardiff City Police c.1920

ABOVE

Police Constable no B 22 Cardiff. 'B' Division would have him stationed at Canton or Grangetown.

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Police c.1910

MANY MORE PHOTOS OF POLICE HELMETS & POLICE INSIGNIA ON THE NEXT PAGES.

USE NAVIGATION BAR (TOP LEFT) ON THIS PAGE.

Some of my helmet collection

Swansea County Borough Police

Senior officer's helmet c. 1890

Swansea County Borough Police

Senior officer's helmet c.1890

Glamorgan Constabulary senior officers helmet.

Silver fittings. Probably a Superintendents helmet

Glamorganshire (Aberdare) Constable c.1875

First pattern Glamorganshire Constabulary helmet plate c.1875

ABOVE 2 photos : CDV photograph c 1875 showing the first style Glamorganshire Constabulary helmet with brim and comb, introduced to replace the 'stove pipe' hat. Below that, an example of the first pattern helmet plate worn on that helmet, fitted with the Constable's number.

BELOW : Pre-1902 Cabinet photograph of a Glamorgan Constable in the Merthyr Division. In 1908 Merthyr Tydfil became a police force in its own right.

Glamorganshire Constabulary 'A' or Merthyr Division. c.1895

Glamorgan Constable 254 Jenkins, Pontypridd

ABOVE: Police Constable Frederick William Jenkins. Joined Glamorgan Constabulary 17.6.1905. Posted to Pontypridd 5.8.1905. Promoted 1st Class Constable (one stripe) 16. 6.1906.

BELOW. Photograph of the ex-servicemen of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Police who fought in the Great War 1914-1919. Inset photographs are of the six men from that force who were killed in action.

Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police

Glamorgan Constabulary 'armed' officers

3 different style Swansea Borough Police helmets c.1890 - 1969

Merthyr Division, Glamorgan Constabulary

ABOVE: Group photograph (also shown in closer detail lower left) of 'A' or Merthyr Division, Glamorgan Constabulary. Pictured top right hand corner is the Divisional Commander Superintendent Anthony Gill. Quite likely to be a full photo of the whole Division prior to the 1908 formation of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Police.

Glamorgan Constabulary mounted officers helmet

A standard uniform police helmet. When required for ceremonial duties, ball top removed and plume device was fitted.

Montgomeryshire Constabulary c.1890

Victorian period group of Montgomeryshire Constabulary officers.

Glamorgan Constabulary Sergeant (Senghenydd Colliery)

This Sergeant was stationed at Senghenydd Colliery, near Caerphilly. c.1930.

Cardiganshire Constabulary helmet c. 1930

Merthyr Tydfil Borough Police senior officer c. 1910

HAVE YOU ANY OLD BRITISH POLICE HELMETS OR POLICE MEMORABILIA YOU MAY WISH TO DONATE / SELL - PLEASE E-MAIL ME
HELMETS, CAPS, BADGES, PHOTGRAPHS, WHISTLES, HANDCUFFS, TRUNCHEONS ETC....ANYTHING FROM A BUTTON TO A FULL UNIFORM. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GET IN TOUCH.

http://www.britishpolicehelmet.co.uk/google0f84b9f1ceb5418b.html

Link :- The Police History Society