YEAR END ROUND-UP NEW BRITISH HELMET AND HELMET PLATES
- Thread starter Yeohelmetguy
- Start date
I think the Norfolk is the one you were looking at, I am sure I bid on the moth one as well I can't remember. The seller was and still is selling various interesting pieces of olde more fanciful British militaria. With the new laws coming into effect in Australia and no doubt here soon WW2 TR items will be banned so more military collectors will be turning to more socially acceptable items like WW1and Victoriana, medals swords etc. Rob
Yeohelmetguy
Well-known member
Hello Rob,
Thank you for sending along and sharing more photographs of the forage caps and helmets in your collection. The forage caps are absolutely spectacular, again! I would agree with you that the brimless cap is to the Connaught Rangers as confirmed by the motto on scroll beneath the harp on the badge... it is just exceptional! I did see your Norfolk cap on eBay... I am not, typically, an eBay shopper/buyer, I find to many things in this arena on eBay spurious. The Norfolk cap I was considering was in the hands of a private collector in Bristol and included its original storage tin. It goes without saying the Highland Light Infantry cap in detail is gorgeous! Your foul weather lancer cap is very intriguing, and I would think fairly rare, a very nice piece! Your dragoon helmet is an interesting combination of parts from several helmets... the helmet shell and helmet plate appear to be to the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) with a Life Guards/Horse Guards pattern plume holder/spike; the 2nd DG having an all gilt or brass plume holder with the officer's plume holder having a flatter donut shaped ball compared to the rounder ball of the household pattern and the same as worn by the 6th Dragoons. and a red 1st King's Dragoon Guards plume vice black for the 2nd DG. With some effort it could be made to be correct and any impressive helmet... though finding the correct plume holder and repairing the enamel to the helmet plate if needed could be very problematic... but it has good "bones!"
Again, all-in-all a marvelous collection!!!
Cheers,
David
Yeohelmetguy
Well-known member
Hi Rob,
I am far from an expert by any stretch, but in dealing with my collection I do at least know who wore what and recognize helmet plates and plume colors and other regimental nuance of the various regiment, regular and yeomanry. I have another rule that I do not violate at all... I will only buy an item, dragoon helmet, home service helmet or home service helmet plate unless it is one hundred percent complete, correct and original... I won't buy something that has missing or reproduction parts simply because finding correct contemporary parts 150 years on is very close to impossible and if it has reproduction parts, it's not original. As for keeping my dragoon helmets clean... I don't use Brasso, it's very abrasive not to be used on any metal let alone gilt or silver as officer's helmets are. I make my own non-abrasive, chemical free cleaner for each metal type, gilt, silver, brass, or German silver, it helps greatly in preventing tarnish to form, so a quick dusting once a month and the occasional deeper cleaning every couple of years or so... but I don't rub them with anything as that will eventually wear away the metals... Again, thank you for your very complimentary remarks regarding my collection!
Cheers,
David
Last edited:
Winodog
Active member
Hi David.
I have read your posts about british headdress with much interest. You have a great collection.
I have a collection of helmets pre WWI, mainly British. Read that you were interested in lance caps. Here’s some of mine.
Thomas
I have read your posts about british headdress with much interest. You have a great collection.
I have a collection of helmets pre WWI, mainly British. Read that you were interested in lance caps. Here’s some of mine.
Thomas
Attachments
Yeohelmetguy
Well-known member
Hi Thomas,
WOW!!! Your British officer's lancer caps are STUNNING... a marvelous collection and beautifully curated!!! I am particularly drawn to the two Imperial Yeomanry caps... rare finds indeed though the caps to the regular regiments in the near pristine condition yours appear to be, are far from common... and rarely seen on my side of the Atlantic Ocean! As I mentioned my interests revolve around British dragoon helmets which I have 27, Victorian officers home service helmets, five in my collection and is an interest I only recently begun to cultivate, and Victorian officers home service helmet plates, the collection currently at sixty unique examples and continues to grow. Yes, I did mention an interest in British lancer caps, preferably officer's quality and have often thought an example or two would be nice to have in my collection, but I have been saying that for some years and have never moved on the impulse staying true to dragoon helmets and home service helmet plates and now home service helmets. You mentioned you collect mainly British Pre-World War I headgear, what other pieces do you have in your collection? Attached are some the other dragoon helmets in my collection... plus another four or five that I could post at a later date...
Cheers,
David
OFFICER'S HELMET 6th (INNISKILLING) DRAGOONS
DERBYSHIRE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY
SUFFOLK YEOMANRY CAVALRY
SHROPSHIRE IMPERIAL YEOMANRY
ROYAL BERKS YEOMANRY CAVALRY
Yeohelmetguy
Well-known member
Hi Thomas,
Again... all absolutely spectacular... stunning the Northamptonshire helmet is beyond fabulous... I would give my eyeteeth to have that one in my collection... I have a (sort of have) a Royal Irish Dragoon Guards officer's helmet complete with storage tin and chamois cover that has been in my sons-in-law's family for 140 plus years, he has it in his possession with the intention of passing it along... like yours, it is GORGEOUS!!! Your Inniskilling helmet is lovely as is 3rd Prince of Walses Dragoon Guards. A very nice Derbyshire helmet, I am sure you are aware, and there seem to be two trains of thought with regard to my Derbyshire helmet that it was intended for ware by senior non-commissioned officers upon the regiment becoming part of the Imperial Yeomanry or it was a special pattern worn by the coronation contingent at Edward VII's coronation. Anyway, all very stunning and again a marvelously curated collection. Some other helmets in my collection...
Cheers,
David
This is my pride and joy an officer's helmet to the Lancashire Mounted Rifle Volunteers worn from 1860 into 1861 when the unit became the 2nd Lancashire Light Horse... The mounted Rifles only existed for about 18 months and had a strength of three officers and approximately 50 other ranks... mentioned in David J. J. Rowes heavy cavalry helmet book.
DUKE OF LANCASTER OWN YEOMANRY CAVALRY
HAMPSHIRE CARIBINIERI with correct regimental pattern plume spike and all silver fittings
Close-up Hampshire Carabinieri helmet plate
PRINCE ALBERT'S OWN LEICSTERSHIRE YEOMANRY CAVALRY
NORTH SOMERSET YEOMANRY CAVALRY
LOTHIAN AND BERWICKSHIRE YEOMANRY CAVALRY
FIFE LIGHT HORSE
ESSEX YEOMANRY... owned by Major Andrew Roddick who was killed at Frezenburg Ridge, Ypres in May 1915 while leading a squadron of the Essex Yeomanry along with troops from several other cavalry regiments on German trench positions. Came in its original named travel/storage tin.
CHESHIRE REGIMENT... just arrived this afternoon 4/1/2024 FedEx over night from the United Kingdom!
Last edited:
Winodog
Active member
Hi David.
I have approximately 30 Yeomanry helmets and approximately 40-50 dragoons in my collection. (+ busbies, bearskins, lance caps, uniforms, cuirasses, swords +++) All in excellent condition. I inherited this collection from my father some years ago and I intend to reduce it over the next years. Please feel free to make suggestions if you’re looking for a particular helmet. I will gladly ship it to you if we can agree on a reasonable price.
Regards
Thomas
I have approximately 30 Yeomanry helmets and approximately 40-50 dragoons in my collection. (+ busbies, bearskins, lance caps, uniforms, cuirasses, swords +++) All in excellent condition. I inherited this collection from my father some years ago and I intend to reduce it over the next years. Please feel free to make suggestions if you’re looking for a particular helmet. I will gladly ship it to you if we can agree on a reasonable price.
Regards
Thomas
Attachments
chinstrap
Active member
Hi Thomas,
Fabulous collection. I too collect heavy cavalry helmets, home service helmets , helmet plates and waist belt clasps. Some recent posts in the General Headgear section under ‘British Collection’ and some older ones in the same section. I would be interested in buying from you,or exchanging pickelhaubes for cavalry helmets. I have sent you a pm/started a conversation.
Patrick
Patrick
Last edited: