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An officers black shako with the post 1954 pattern coat of arms - interestingly, the chin strap has a push button fastening in the middle. I'm unsure if this was a variation or was privately fitted by this officer.

An officers shako for traffic control with a white body for increased visibility and with the 1951 pattern coat of arms. The left hand side chinstrap post retains the loop for securing a plume.

Senior officers Berlin police shako with the 1951 pattern coat of arms - as an indication of rank, the medallion on the star is raised and protrudes approximately 1cm.

The police in West Berlin showed their revised uniform in the Olympic Stadium on 30 September 1951. A black shako was now worn with the shako star plate and national cockade. The plate featured the Berlin coat of arms which was introduced in 1934 with the so-called 'wall crown'and rounded bottom...

Hi, Thanks for your note! There's so much history that its hard to do it justice in a few lines - unfortunately most of it needs to be left out. For a dance in Princes Street Gardens in '44 this might well have been held at the Ross Bandstand (pictured below). It was named after William Henry...

In 1926 the Association of Chief Constables in Scotland commissioned Mr A. Cairns, an art teacher from Dumfries Academy, to design a crest that would be suitable for all the police forces in Scotland. This design was completed in 1927 and depicted a thistle head surrounded by thistle leaves on...

The senior officers ceremonial helmet from the 1920's was similar to that for the Constables and Sergeants but was of generally better quality (similar to the military officers quality Home Service Pattern helmets), gilded fittings and metal bound front peak.

The ceremonial spiked helmet pictured below was introduced in the 1920's. Clearly influenced by the military Home Service Pattern it had white metal furniture on a cork body. The helmet plate again included the Edinburgh Coat of Arms but now within a wreath of thistles. The photograph below...

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and has a long history. After the Union of the Crowns in 1603 James VI of Scotland ascended to the throne of England which greatly renewed the fortunes of the City of Edinburgh bringing increased trade but also the associated crime and occasional...

Hi Peter, Thanks for your note. Leather bodied helmets were only worn by a few units and surviving good condition examples are hard to find - I was lucky to be able to get these two a few years ago. I don't think Prince Albert was directly involved in the design of these although he did...

The Other Ranks pattern of helmet was similar to the above but with the helmet fittings in plain white metal.

In circa 1797, The Midlothian Yeomanry and The Royal Edinburgh Light Dragoons were formed as a defence against the French armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. Sir Walter Scott (the famous Scottish novelist, poet and historian) was the Quartermaster of the Royal Edinburgh Light Dragoons and wrote the...

Prussian Municipal Police pickelhaube, 9cm high quadruple fluted spike with ball top, cruciform base fixed with dome headed bolts and the central 'W' cypher in gold for the reign of Wilhelm II. This was worn from circa 1894 to 1918 although it was still in use until circa 1923 with some...

After the end of the Second World War, the Berlin police, in common with forces all over Germany, had to change the insignia on their uniforms. The previous green shakos continued to be worn after the Allied Command order of 3 August 1945 lifted the ban on the German police wearing uniforms...

The Crimean War 1854 - 1856 was the first war the British Army had been committed to against a European power since 1815. It was the last major campaign waged by the army wearing its standard uniforms including headdress and was a watershed in the army's development leading to many reforms in...

Thanks John - much of the research in the post is drawn from a far longer article written by Douglas Anderson which accompanied his watercolour. Douglas was a diligent historian as well as an accomplished artist who wrote in a very 'readable' manner.

Hi Thomas, Thanks for posting - this is a fantastic helmet and it's great it still has its original tin! I'd agree this would have been an officers, the saltire and lettering look to be gilt as Patrick noted above and the liner is of a far higher quality. Cheers, Jamie

HI Patrick, To be honest, its difficult to tell, if it is gilt its pretty worn - I've always gone on the asumption its an OR's in very good condition. Cheers, Jamie

That's me! Hopefully we can meet up for a coffee sometime soon!

Hi all, Not to add anything but I thought I'd post the photos of mine - its great to see so many 1KDG helmets!