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Hi Peter, Thanks for your note. Leather bodied helmets were only worn by a few units and surviving good condition examples are hard to find - I was lucky to be able to get these two a few years ago. I don't think Prince Albert was directly involved in the design of these although he did...

The Other Ranks pattern of helmet was similar to the above but with the helmet fittings in plain white metal.

In circa 1797, The Midlothian Yeomanry and The Royal Edinburgh Light Dragoons were formed as a defence against the French armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. Sir Walter Scott (the famous Scottish novelist, poet and historian) was the Quartermaster of the Royal Edinburgh Light Dragoons and wrote the...

Prussian Municipal Police pickelhaube, 9cm high quadruple fluted spike with ball top, cruciform base fixed with dome headed bolts and the central 'W' cypher in gold for the reign of Wilhelm II. This was worn from circa 1894 to 1918 although it was still in use until circa 1923 with some...

After the end of the Second World War, the Berlin police, in common with forces all over Germany, had to change the insignia on their uniforms. The previous green shakos continued to be worn after the Allied Command order of 3 August 1945 lifted the ban on the German police wearing uniforms...

The Crimean War 1854 - 1856 was the first war the British Army had been committed to against a European power since 1815. It was the last major campaign waged by the army wearing its standard uniforms including headdress and was a watershed in the army's development leading to many reforms in...

Thanks John - much of the research in the post is drawn from a far longer article written by Douglas Anderson which accompanied his watercolour. Douglas was a diligent historian as well as an accomplished artist who wrote in a very 'readable' manner.

Hi Thomas, Thanks for posting - this is a fantastic helmet and it's great it still has its original tin! I'd agree this would have been an officers, the saltire and lettering look to be gilt as Patrick noted above and the liner is of a far higher quality. Cheers, Jamie

HI Patrick, To be honest, its difficult to tell, if it is gilt its pretty worn - I've always gone on the asumption its an OR's in very good condition. Cheers, Jamie

That's me! Hopefully we can meet up for a coffee sometime soon!

Hi all, Not to add anything but I thought I'd post the photos of mine - its great to see so many 1KDG helmets!

Hi Patrick, Great to hear there's another collector nearby! I've got a feeling we've perhaps met before? I'll certainly look through your previous posts. Jamie

Hi Patrick - These are excellent examples!

Pictured below is my example of the Fife Light Horse helmet worn from 1896 to 1901. The helmet plate resembled that of the Fife Mounted Rifles with some minor variations. It comprised a silvered / white metal four pointed hobnailed star with the topmost point being displaced by the small...

In March 1860, in the smoking room of Dysart House in Fife (the county area on the other side of the Forth from Edinburgh, commonly known for historic reasons as 'The Kingdom of Fife'), a number of gentlemen proposed to raise a regiment of volunteer cavalry. They were apparantly inspired by a...

Hello to all, I am from Edinburgh in Scotland and my main interest is in the history of the various Scottish military units and police forces. I have a particular interest in the Scottish Volunteer movement (especially those units connected with the Royal Scots) from the period 1859 to 1914...

The 1st Administrative Battalion Haddingtonshire Rifle Volunteers was formed on 19th August 1860 in Haddington (a town in East Lothian outside of Edinburgh) which included 7 corps spread between Haddington and the surrounding towns. The county raised a general subscription to provide for the...

Hi, No, there are no extra holes - the helmet is complete, the plate fits tightly and certainly appears original. The Volunteer's were different to the Regular Army or Militia - the officers, although drawn from the professional classes, were not always wealthy. The home service pattern helmet...

Hi David, It's fully an officers pattern shell with the correct leather and silk liner - you're correct it's an officers pattern spike but it's in white metal matched with the OR's quality cross base. A possible option is that officers quality helmet plates perhaps weren't yet available for the...

Thanks David - your Aberdeen Artillery officers helmet is another fine piece! The 1st Administrative Brigade Aberdeen Artillery Volunteers was initially formed in October 1860 to pull together circa 6 batteries which had formed a few months earlier throughout Aberdeen and the surrounding towns...