Thank you Peter for the precious informations about these fashinating headgears.Very nice helmet. I have one as well. The Artists Rifles were made up of actors, painters, sculptors and other "artists." The unit served as an officer training regiment and later became the Special Air Service.
Your helmet and mine are actually Edwardian not Victorian. These have the King's Crown.
View attachment 29180
Dear Peter,Very nice helmet. I have one as well. The Artists Rifles were made up of actors, painters, sculptors and other "artists." The unit served as an officer training regiment and later became the Special Air Service.
Your helmet and mine are actually Edwardian not Victorian. These have the King's Crown.
View attachment 29180
Zeb,Dear Peter,
there is still something that doesn't quite convince me. I have to say that my main militaria's focus are not the british headgear, but reading some informations on the net I assume :
- The home service helmet was adopted by british army on 1878.
- This regiment was estabilished on 28 february 1860 as the 38th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps.
- In September 1880 the Corps became the 20th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps and attached to Rifle Brigade in 1881
- It became 28th County of London (Artists Rifles) in 1908
- At last it became 21 Special Air Service (Artists) in 1947.
If the dates are correct, this helmet with the 38th badge could only have been from 1878 to 1880.
Am I wrong?
Well spotted!The monogram VR with a king's crown is odd in its own right.
The monogram VR with a king's crown is odd in its own right.
Well Peter,I checked my books... A History of The Artists Rifles 1859-1947 by Barry Gregory said the Regimental badge was designed by Private J.W. Wyon in 1860.
I think you are correct, the helmet is Victorian. I missed this in the book, and upon a much closer inspection I don't think it is King's Crown (post 1901). It would see Wyon was ahead in his design. So Zeb's helmet is probably circa 1880, while mine could be 1880 to 1908.
Here are the later cap badges. The 'Artists' is the earlier. PatrickNow I return to the 20th Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps badge (1880-1908) and show you a close photo from the net.
The magnificent badge show the heads of the roman gods Minerva (God of Arts) and Mars (God of war) in profile.
I like it very much.
View attachment 29272
Really a beautiful badge. I have never seen it before.Here are the later cap badges. The 'Artists' is the earlier. PatrickView attachment 29273View attachment 29274