Bill,
I have only just joined and saw your request about the 1834 pattern helmet. I decided to post a reply even though it’s a bit late in the day. I have an 1834 pattern officer’s Heavy Cavalry helmet to the 6th Dragoons or Inniskilling regiment. Following is an extract from W.Y. Carman’s book ‘Head Dresses of the British Army, Cavalry’.
“On the 14th October 1834 a circular memorandum was sent to Dragoon Guards and Dragoons stating that a new pattern helmet had been approved for officers, N.C.O.s and the men of Heavy Cavalry regiments. This was the all brass (or gilt) helmet as described in the 1834 Dress Regulations as ‘gilt metal, with ornamental scrolls on the sides; oak-leaf ornamented brass crest, with a separate bear-skin crest’. This helmet surely the most beautiful of all British helmets had the Hanoverian Royal Arms with battle honours on a pointed rayed plate above a metal strip bearing the title of the regiment. The metal comb was ornamented with a fine floral pattern and curling foliage was on the back part of the skull. The ear bosses were now of rose pattern and the scales scalloped. The imposing fur crest of the previous helmet was still worn but could be replaced by the well modelled forepart of a lion, also in metal.”
This pattern was worn between 1834 and 1843. My helmet has the Victorian Coat of Arms and therefore is of 1837+ vintage.
In describing the 1843-1847 pattern helmet Carman states that “the various titles taken from actual helmets read as follows – 1st or the King’s Dragoon Guards, 3rd or Prince of Wales’s Dragoon Guards… 6th or Inniskilling Dragoons. The battle honour ‘Waterloo’ was on the plates of the K.D.G. and the Inniskilling Dragoons. My helmet has the battle honour ‘Waterloo’, I have seen an identical helmet on the net (www.mdld.org/6thInniskilling.htm) and I have seen a 3rd Dragoon Guards helmet with the battle honour ‘Vittoria’, ‘Talavera’, and ‘Peninsula’ which is correct. I don’t know what battle honours the 1st or King’s Dragoon Guards had.
Hope this helps,
Stuart
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