Yeohelmetguy
Well-known member
Hello Forum Members,
As I mentioned, the second quarter of 2024 was a great quarter for adding interesting pieces to my British military headdress collection. Another new acquisition and addition to my collection is a Victorian officer’s home service helmet to the Royal Marines Light infantry. The helmet, despite its appearance in the included photographs, is a dark Royal Marines version of rifle green as seen in British Army light infantry and/or rifles regiments helmets. All fitting and helmet furniture is gilt and original to this helmet. The helmet plate consists of the universal star plate with the upper most rays displaced by a Victorian Crown. The central device is a globe in silver surrounded by a strap with the Royal Marines motto, “Per Mare, Per Terram” (By Sea By Land) pierced over a deep royal blue enamel backing with the honor “GIBRALER” on a scroll above and a gilt fouled anchor below and below that a silver stung bugle horn. The home service helmet was adopted by the Royal Marine light Infantry in 1878 to replace the shako worn to that point and continued in use until 1905 when the white foreign service helmet was adopted, albeit from 1901 on with a “King’s Crown” replacing the Victorian Crown on the helmet plate. The Royal Marine Artillery adopted the home service helmet a year later, in 1879, to replace the artillery pattern busby worn to that point. They adopted the white foreign service helmet at the same time the Royal Marines Light Infantry did.
Please enjoy and thank you for looking at this post!
Cheers,
David
As I mentioned, the second quarter of 2024 was a great quarter for adding interesting pieces to my British military headdress collection. Another new acquisition and addition to my collection is a Victorian officer’s home service helmet to the Royal Marines Light infantry. The helmet, despite its appearance in the included photographs, is a dark Royal Marines version of rifle green as seen in British Army light infantry and/or rifles regiments helmets. All fitting and helmet furniture is gilt and original to this helmet. The helmet plate consists of the universal star plate with the upper most rays displaced by a Victorian Crown. The central device is a globe in silver surrounded by a strap with the Royal Marines motto, “Per Mare, Per Terram” (By Sea By Land) pierced over a deep royal blue enamel backing with the honor “GIBRALER” on a scroll above and a gilt fouled anchor below and below that a silver stung bugle horn. The home service helmet was adopted by the Royal Marine light Infantry in 1878 to replace the shako worn to that point and continued in use until 1905 when the white foreign service helmet was adopted, albeit from 1901 on with a “King’s Crown” replacing the Victorian Crown on the helmet plate. The Royal Marine Artillery adopted the home service helmet a year later, in 1879, to replace the artillery pattern busby worn to that point. They adopted the white foreign service helmet at the same time the Royal Marines Light Infantry did.
Please enjoy and thank you for looking at this post!
Cheers,
David
