Yeohelmetguy
Well-known member
Hello all... newest additions to my collection of British Army infantry officer's home service helmet plates worn between 1878 and 1900... again, regular army battalion/regiment plates are in gilt/gold and volunteer battalions/regiments are in silver...
Helmet Plate attributed to an officer of the 1st Cambridgeshire Rifle Volunteer Corps as worn 1878 through 1887. The 1st Cambridgeshire Rifle Volunteer Corps became, in 1881, the 3rd (Cambridgeshire) Volunteer Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment. The helmet plate is a universal star plate with the upper most rays surmounted by a Victorian crown. On this plate is a circlet inscribed “1st CAMBRIDGESHIRE RIFLE Vol. CORPS”, this in turn surrounded by a laurel wreath all in silver plate. Within the circlet, on a black velvet ground also in silver is a depiction of a three-tower castle.
Helmet plate attributed to an officer of the 2nd West India Regiment worn 1881 through 1888 when the 1st West India Regiment and the 2nd West India Regiment became the first and second battalions respectively of the newly formed two battalion West India Regiment and adopted a new pattern helmet plate, an example of which can be seen included in this album. The helmet plate consists of a universal pattern star plate the upper most rays being surmounted by a Victorian crown. On the universal star plate is mounted a wreath of laurel leaves left and palm fronds right and within the wreath a strap carrying the regimental title, “WEST INDIA REGT” and within the title strap the numeral “2” mounted on a black velvet background. Below the title strap superimposed at the juncture of the left and right wreaths, a scroll baring the battle honor “ASHANTEE”. The entire plate is in all gilt.
Helmet plate attributed to an officer of the 34th Yorkshire West Riding (Saddleworth) Rifle Volunteer Corps as worn from 1878 through approximately 1895. The universal star plate which is silvered has centrally a strung bugle horn upon a black velvet background. Surrounding the central device is a circlet impressed with at the bottom of the circlet in block letters “SADDLEWORTH” and around the remaining upper one half of the circlet “GOD AND FATHERLAND” (very Germanic and most unique for a British helmet plate) in olde English script and surrounding the circlet is a laurel wreath. The plate was worn on a grey home service pattern helmet. The 34th Yorkshire West Riding (Saddleworth) Rifle Volunteer Corps was absorbed into the 5th Administrative Battalion in 1877 and despite being carried on the Army List as the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, West Riding Regiment, local tradition had them continuing to operate as a separate body into the early to mid-1890’s when the “Saddleworth” Rifle Volunteers were disbanded.
Helmet plate attributed to an officer of the Lincolnshire Regiment worn from 1881 through 1901. The helmet plate consists of a universal pattern star plate the upper most rays being surmounted by a Victorian crown. On the universal star plate is mounted a wreath of laurel leaves and within the wreath the garter strap inscribed “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” all in gilt and within the garter strap mounted on black velvet the sphinx over Egypt in silver. Below, on the silver universal scroll “THE LINCOLNSHIRE REGT.”
Helmet plate attributed to an officer of the Queens Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment worn 1881 through 1901. The helmet plate is the gilt universal star pattern surmounted by a Victorian crown on which is the garter strap with the usual inscription “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” surrounded by a laurel wreath in gilt. Within the Garter strap on a black velvet ground *now absent) is the White Horse of Kent with the scroll inscribed “Invicta” and a scroll above inscribed with the motto “Que fas et Gloria ducunt” all in silver. The “White Horse of Kent” and motto “Invicta” were approved in 1881 and was a former badge of the West Kent Militia and had appeared on the pre-1881 officers helmet plates along with a scroll “Queen’s Own" of the 50th Regiment.
Helmet Plate attributed to an officer of the Suffolk Regiment as worn from 1900 through 1901, a one-year pattern helmet plate. Prior to 1900 the central device, the Castle of Gibraltar, as depicted on Suffolk Regiment helmet plates showed only two towers. On 30 January 1900 a War Office instruction directed that the Castle of Gibraltar should in future be shown with three towers and in accordance with this a new version of the plate was subsequently approved. The helmet plate is the gilt universal star pattern surmounted by a Victorian crown on which is the garter strap with the usual inscription “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” surrounded by a laurel wreath in gilt. Within the Garter strap on a black velvet ground is the “new” three tower pattern Castle of Gibraltar” and key with a scroll above inscribed “Gibraltar” and below a scroll inscribed “Montis Insignia Calpe” in silver. Below the laurel wreath across the bottom of the plate is the regimental title “THE SUFFOLK REGIMENT” in silver.
I hope everyone will enjoy these newest additions to my British Army home service helmet plate collection... and thank you for looking!
Cheers,
David
Helmet Plate attributed to an officer of the 1st Cambridgeshire Rifle Volunteer Corps as worn 1878 through 1887. The 1st Cambridgeshire Rifle Volunteer Corps became, in 1881, the 3rd (Cambridgeshire) Volunteer Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment. The helmet plate is a universal star plate with the upper most rays surmounted by a Victorian crown. On this plate is a circlet inscribed “1st CAMBRIDGESHIRE RIFLE Vol. CORPS”, this in turn surrounded by a laurel wreath all in silver plate. Within the circlet, on a black velvet ground also in silver is a depiction of a three-tower castle.
Helmet plate attributed to an officer of the 2nd West India Regiment worn 1881 through 1888 when the 1st West India Regiment and the 2nd West India Regiment became the first and second battalions respectively of the newly formed two battalion West India Regiment and adopted a new pattern helmet plate, an example of which can be seen included in this album. The helmet plate consists of a universal pattern star plate the upper most rays being surmounted by a Victorian crown. On the universal star plate is mounted a wreath of laurel leaves left and palm fronds right and within the wreath a strap carrying the regimental title, “WEST INDIA REGT” and within the title strap the numeral “2” mounted on a black velvet background. Below the title strap superimposed at the juncture of the left and right wreaths, a scroll baring the battle honor “ASHANTEE”. The entire plate is in all gilt.
Helmet plate attributed to an officer of the 34th Yorkshire West Riding (Saddleworth) Rifle Volunteer Corps as worn from 1878 through approximately 1895. The universal star plate which is silvered has centrally a strung bugle horn upon a black velvet background. Surrounding the central device is a circlet impressed with at the bottom of the circlet in block letters “SADDLEWORTH” and around the remaining upper one half of the circlet “GOD AND FATHERLAND” (very Germanic and most unique for a British helmet plate) in olde English script and surrounding the circlet is a laurel wreath. The plate was worn on a grey home service pattern helmet. The 34th Yorkshire West Riding (Saddleworth) Rifle Volunteer Corps was absorbed into the 5th Administrative Battalion in 1877 and despite being carried on the Army List as the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, West Riding Regiment, local tradition had them continuing to operate as a separate body into the early to mid-1890’s when the “Saddleworth” Rifle Volunteers were disbanded.
Helmet plate attributed to an officer of the Lincolnshire Regiment worn from 1881 through 1901. The helmet plate consists of a universal pattern star plate the upper most rays being surmounted by a Victorian crown. On the universal star plate is mounted a wreath of laurel leaves and within the wreath the garter strap inscribed “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” all in gilt and within the garter strap mounted on black velvet the sphinx over Egypt in silver. Below, on the silver universal scroll “THE LINCOLNSHIRE REGT.”
Helmet plate attributed to an officer of the Queens Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment worn 1881 through 1901. The helmet plate is the gilt universal star pattern surmounted by a Victorian crown on which is the garter strap with the usual inscription “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” surrounded by a laurel wreath in gilt. Within the Garter strap on a black velvet ground *now absent) is the White Horse of Kent with the scroll inscribed “Invicta” and a scroll above inscribed with the motto “Que fas et Gloria ducunt” all in silver. The “White Horse of Kent” and motto “Invicta” were approved in 1881 and was a former badge of the West Kent Militia and had appeared on the pre-1881 officers helmet plates along with a scroll “Queen’s Own" of the 50th Regiment.
Helmet Plate attributed to an officer of the Suffolk Regiment as worn from 1900 through 1901, a one-year pattern helmet plate. Prior to 1900 the central device, the Castle of Gibraltar, as depicted on Suffolk Regiment helmet plates showed only two towers. On 30 January 1900 a War Office instruction directed that the Castle of Gibraltar should in future be shown with three towers and in accordance with this a new version of the plate was subsequently approved. The helmet plate is the gilt universal star pattern surmounted by a Victorian crown on which is the garter strap with the usual inscription “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” surrounded by a laurel wreath in gilt. Within the Garter strap on a black velvet ground is the “new” three tower pattern Castle of Gibraltar” and key with a scroll above inscribed “Gibraltar” and below a scroll inscribed “Montis Insignia Calpe” in silver. Below the laurel wreath across the bottom of the plate is the regimental title “THE SUFFOLK REGIMENT” in silver.
I hope everyone will enjoy these newest additions to my British Army home service helmet plate collection... and thank you for looking!
Cheers,
David
