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Pictured below is likely to be an OR's - the one you're looking at seems to have a gilt finish and a better qualty plate so possibly an officers although there are no pearls around the spike base.

Looks like an officers helmet of the schutzmannschaft from the Grand Duchy of Hesse dating from circa 1899 to possibly 1918 with the intertwined initials 'EL' for the last Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig Karl Albrecht Wilhelm.

Hi Patrick, Yes, this one came from the L&T sale. When I went to view it, it appeared to be a fairly early helmet from the GY as it had the regimental pattern of plume stem (later helmets I’ve seen reverted to the standard Dragoon pattern) and was quite heavy even for a ’47 pattern, which...

Thanks John, much appreciated! Now I just need to get the plume to 'hang' correctly!

I recently managed to add this 1847 pattern ‘Albert’ officer’s helmet of the Queens Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry to my collection – I already have another with the dark green cock-feather plume but this has the black horse hair version. I pictured my first helmet and outlined the history of this...

It's post-1902 from the crown on the Imperial Coat of Arms but the regiment continued to wear full dress for particular occasions during the period between the first and second world wars. From its condition, and by comparison with others in the RHF museum in Glasgow, I think it dates from the...

Thanks Rob, I'm fortunate in being able to keep the bulk of my collection behind glass but the bearskins respond well to the occasional shake!

When The Earl of Mar’s Regiment was formed in 1678 they were loyal to King Charles II and were formed to oppose the Covenantors who were taking up arms in support of Presbyterianism. By the Glorious Revolution in 1688, their support for the openly Catholic King James II & VII had waned and they...

Pictured below is an officer’s bearskin of the Royal Scots Fusiliers made up from a wicker frame covered by the pelt of a black bear with an adjustable leather liner and chinstrap. The regiments fused grenade badge with the post-1902 Imperial Royal Crest in gilt finish is fixed to the front with...

The Royal Scots Fusiliers were one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army existing from 1678 until 1959. They were initially raised by Charles Erskine, the 5th Earl of Mar, in 1678 and were titled ‘The Earl of Mar’s Regiment’ as at that time regiments would be named after...

I think that this was very rare – the 5th VB Scottish Rifles are the only battalion I know off which was compulsorily ordered to disband. By the 1890's there had been a number of reforms aimed at raising the standard and efficiency of the volunteer units. Unfortunately it would seem that this...

The 5th Volunteer Battalion of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) had a lineage that stretched from 1862 but they were disbanded rather ingloriously in 1897. Their history began with the formation of the 4th Administrative Battalion, Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers on 14 May 1862. This was...

Thanks for your note - I've had this helmet for years but I never intended to buy it, it just came with a box of other stuff! You're spot on about dating these helmets being a minefield, there doesn't seem to have been be a lot of indepth research carried out into them and what information there...

The M33 helmet, designated Elmetto Modello 1933 in Italian, was the standard combat helmet of the Italian forces during the Second World War with the design remaining in use until circa 1992. The Italian army had previously worn the French Adrian helmet from their entry into the First World War...

Many thanks for your post - I agree that having some understanding of the history behind these items increases their appreciation. When this helmet came into my possession there was only the name ‘C Hope’ on the transit tin along with his initials CH on the helmet liner. Researching the unit’s...

Pictured below is an officer’s helmet from my collection from the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers of the style worn from circa 1887 to the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. This helmet is named internally and on the name plaque on its transit tin to Lieutenant-Colonel...

The 1st Administrative Battalion, Berwickshire Rifle Volunteers was formed in November 1863. Berwickshire is a historic county in south-eastern Scotland bordering England which is known for its coastline, agriculture and the Lammermuir Hills. The county is named after Berwick-upon-Tweed but this...

Thanks for posting - it's interesting to see an example of this helmet worn with the undress spike top in lieu of the horsehair plume. I've always thought that the British Yeomanry leather helmets had been inspired by the Prussian Model 1842 pickelhaube but the 'flaming grenade' style of the...

Hi Sandy, many thanks for your note - very much appreciated!

Hi Steve, many thanks for your note - your family members would certainly have been aware of the National Covenant!