"1930's- 40's British Police Uniforms" Topic

Can anyone recommend a uniform guide or website that will provide me with information on Police uniforms of the late 30's early 40's so I can paint up my Artizan policemen for "British Civil War" scenarios/ Operation Sealion

Navy blue serge, pointy helmet, black leather accoutrements. What else is there to know????

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The black and white cuff was only used if they were on traffic duty

A couple of days ago, I was watching Turner Classic Movies and they were playing one of those Simon Templar/Saint movies from the early 1940s. At one point, the police arrived to rescue Simon and company from the bad guys on a steamer, and the police helmets had small pikes on top (like 1880s British Home Guard troops).

Was that correct? Or was that a certain type of police? Other than that, they looked pretty much exactly like the constable in your photo.

We didn't have a Home Guard in the 1880s, but police helmets did vary from force to force.

I've never seen one with a spike though, it's probably something the film studio had lying around in costume.

…and he's a sergeant, not a constable

One more thing, police helmet badges are usually bright metal, some forces blackened/dulled them during the war.

The helmet style varied from force to force and has changed over time. Some had spikes or balls on the top, and some had neither, depending which constabulary we are talking about.

If you mean the "home service" uniform for the army of 1880s it did come with a dark blue fabric cover and a brass spike I know that he Devon Constabulary of 1880 where wearing a "Prussian pickelhaube style" (thanks to The Victorian Policeman by Simon Dell Shire Publications).I would go with the photo as that seams to fit with the look of the Artizan police that I remember.

Interesting – so the 'generic' helmet style we see most often, was that what the London force was wearing? Certainly the few British police figures I have now are wearing helmets like that in the photo. Certainly good enough for teh pulp silliness I am using them for!

Here's a Cardiff city copper from the 1920s with a spiked helmet:

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A police officer during the war might also wear a Brodie helmet (especially during an air raid). I've got a police Brodie:

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The black and white band was worn on the sleeve to show that the officer was on duty, at this time officers wore uniform to work, putting the band on once they had paraded at their duty station.
PC's on traffic point duty wore white armlets.
Many types of helmet were worn by various forces, some were crested, others had spike or ball topped lids, others had a rosette much like the current Met helmet.
Some helmet plates were silver, others painted black with lettering picked out in silver.

Connard, That chap in your photo seems too be devoid of a whistle, usually worn in the left hand breast pocket, the chain passing from the right side of that pocket and through the top buttonhole of the tunic, it then carried on down inside the tunic and the hook end of the chain was hooked around the fastening of the second button. They took ours off us some time in the 70's (I've still got mine). When I joined Durham Constabulary, in 1973, we were issued 2 helmets. A "day" helmet with a comb top and shiney badge, and a "night" helmet with a rosette top and blacked out badge. The 1940's copper would have had a cape too, with a stand up collar bearing his number each side in the manner of collar "dogs". The cape fastened with concealed buttons down the front and a chain across the neck hanging between 2 ornamental lions heads, sometimes blackened, one of which had a hook for the chain. NO copper of the day was complete without his black leather cloves, usually witha thrupenny bit (3d brass coin) in the tip of the odd finger, for smiting the ungodly (usually street urchins etc.) The cape was also used folded as weapon and could be slung with some force.

This is very interesting indeed. BTW, did the police also used the "Tardis" type police box by this time?.

Here's a link to Kent Police Museum
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There are generally regarded to be three types of British police helmet types:

Rose-top – this is the one with the small rose on the top – as worn by the Met and many other forces.

Coxcomb – the one with the ridge running up the back. Worn, I believe, by West Midlands and others.

Ball – the least common, I understand – it has a small spike and ball on top.

Whilst the uniform details changed somewhat before the 1960s this link will give you a good indication of the generalities of the uniform and better still, it tells you everything you need to know about the police in easy to understand terms:

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I particularly like the section on police dogs trained to find lorry drivers who dress as ladies.

If you are doing operation Sealion then the police should be wearing black painted Mk 1 helmets with the word "Police" painted on the front in white.

Helmets: link

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You might find this useful: britishpolicehelmet.co.uk

What's all this, then?

Loads of good info and pictures! Thanks!

The Jim Jones Cocktail Hour -great name
My friend that was so funny!!!!