Henbrandt Police/Bobby Helmet&Nbsp;&Ndash;&Nbsp;Childs Size [Toy]

Product Information

I am intrigued to learn that the 1863 pattern was called the ‘Custodian’. I have believed for some time that ‘Custodian’ is a Christy’s Trade Mark model name from around the early 1980s (maybe a bit earlier), that became the pretty much universal police ‘insider’ term for the helmets over the last 40 years just because it was by far the most common type. Therefore not really applicable to nineteenth-century helmets, and certainly not for similar helmets used in other countries. I have done quite a bit of original research in this area, and I have never seen the name Custodian appear in nineteenth or early twentieth century sources. However, I may be wrong! If there is some evidence that it was the official (or unofficial) term for the British police helmets earlier than the 1970s this I’d genuinely love to know about it. Figure 13. The Indo-British family of light-weight ‘service’ Helmets and the dragoon helmet. Left, a lightweight ventilated Ellwood ‘Air Chamber’ sun helmet, unofficially called the ‘Air Pipe’, patented in 1851, probably the inspiration for Christys’ when they developed the first Custodian pattern 1863. Left Center, a British dragoon helmet shape in existence from at least 1842 (although this is an 1847 model), probably inspired the ornamentation on the Christys’ alternative style ‘bell’ shaped Custodian introduced around 1875. Center Right, an example of Christys’ 1875 alternative bell shaped Custodian police helmet. The company themselves have said it was based on the Home Service Helmet; Right, the Home Service Helmet, officially adopted in 1878, but versions had been unofficially in use and trialed for many years, perhaps explaining the miss-match in design/adoption dates stated for the ‘Custodian’ and ‘Home Service Helmet’. Their appearance, however, can probably be seen as coeval, with the police simply being offered the new military pattern as an alternative to the coxcomb. Female officers usually wear a bowler with a badge. Recently, efforts have been made to make headwear more gender-neutral. An example of this is Hertfordshire Police who have given officers the option to wear identical headwear, regardless of gender. Why do some police officers wear Baseball caps?

Aerosol incapacitants are classified as prohibited weapons by virtue of Section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968 and possession of such sprays is therefore illegal by the general public. They may only be possessed with the authority of the Defence Council or the Scottish Ministers. [31] Police officers, as Crown servants, are exempt from the requirements of the legislation and can have lawful possession of an incapacitant spray whilst acting in their capacity as a constable or where necessary for the purposes of their duty. [29] Batons [ edit ]The traffic police or the ‘roads policing’ as they are sometimes known are responsible for policing the roads in the UK. The main reason that traffic police wear white hats is for visibility. Figure 1. Top left, an Ellwood & Sons ‘Air Chamber’ military sun helmet, patented 1851, following traditional Indian designs it has a light weight cork construction, is cloth covered and has an ‘air pipe’ comb allowing air to freely circulate in the dome. Top right, a ‘Custodian’ police helmet by Christys & Co ltd (1952), uses almost identical construction methods; a version of this basic design was introduced in 1863 and was the only Custodian type for at least 10 years. Bottom left, a development of the sun helmet; a Christys & Co Ltd, late 1800s Colonial Pattern Sun Helmet. Bottom center, the attached Christys label. Bottom right, a near identically constructed police helmet, again by Christys, offered to the police as an alternative ‘Custodian’ style in the mid 1870s. The role of women in the police has largely taken a different path from men. Women were first employed by the police as Police Matrons in 1883.

Their job was to look after female prisoners at police stations or the courts. As mentioned before, the traditional custodial helmet was made part of the uniform in 1865, before women were employed by the force. As a result, there are separate hat styles for men and women. The design documents for the original 1863 British Police helmet, or ‘Bobby helmet’, have long been lost, and it is thought no examples of the first model still exist. There has been much speculation over the years about its actual origins. Here it is argued that it was in fact a direct development of Victorian Indian sun helmets, with only its later (post 1875) ornamentation owing anything to European (British) military helmets.

The custodian helmet is an iconic symbol of British policing, still used by a number of metropolitan police forces, and I am delighted that they will be returning to the streets of Thames Valley. A Custodian Helmet is also known as a Policeman’s Helmet or Centurion Helmet and technically known as a ‘Home Office Pattern Helmet’. The Custodian Helmet is worn by policemen in England and Wales as the traditional headgear of the ‘Bobby on the beat’, worn by constables and sergeants on foot patrol. A Peaked Cap is worn by officers on mobile patrol in cars. Both chin straps can be folded up inside the helmet when not in use for more strenuous activity. Most officers choose not to use the chin strap for day-to-day duties.

a b "Custodian Helmet – Policeman's Helmet for Bobbies". Hatguide.co.uk . Retrieved 12 April 2023. The Custodian Helmet is worn by policemen in England and Wales as the traditional headgear of the 'Bobby on the beat', worn by constables and sergeants on foot patrol. The custodian helmet is a type of helmet worn predominantly by male police officers in the United Kingdom, within England and Wales, and certain other places around the world. [1] First used by the Metropolitan Police in London in 1863, the BBC labelled the custodian helmet a "symbol of British law enforcement". [2] They are worn by male constables and sergeants on foot patrol. [3] A cultural icon, it has featured in films, TV series and other media involving British police. [2] History [ edit ]Externally the top of the very first Custodian helmet’s shape (fig.4) is thought by some to have perhaps been purely ornamental. If so superficially it looks as if it may have been based on the metal British Dragoon helmets of the early 19 th century, but still with elements of the pre-1863 police issue stove-pipe hat. Perhaps the early dragoon helmets of 1812 and onwards were copied giving the first Custodian helmet a coxcomb or ridge. Several regional police forces still use modern versions of this coxcomb style. Fire helmets were indeed based on the dragoon style, a tradition started in France, but with broader flatter brims to guard against embers, brass ones were adopted in Britain in 1868.

Within a year or two, it was shortened to be more like the sun helmet, but still had an up-turned brim. Baseball caps are also designed to make the police look much more approachable and are more practical as they don’t fall off. However, traditional custodial helmets are still to be worn for ceremonial duties. A comb and crest, a ball or a simple helmet boss adorns the top of the helmet whilst some forces used to have spikes on top. A thin chinstrap keeps the helmet on with some helmets having an additional double strap with chin cup for more strenuous activity.Harley, Nicola (2017-05-10). "Police swap helmets for caps to attract more transgender officers". The Telegraph. Bobby is a slang term for police constables in the British Isles. The helmet itself is known as a custodian helmet, once worn exclusively by male officers in Britain. The custodian helmet is the headgear traditionally worn by male police constables and sergeants while on foot patrol in England and Wales. [3] Officers of all ranks in most forces are also issued a flat, peaked cap that is worn on mobile patrol in a vehicle. Ranks above sergeant wear the peaked cap only. However, some inspectors wear the custodian helmet, but with two silver bands around the base (to match the two pips worn as rank insignia) to denote their position. [4] Gloucestershire Constabulary states the same that it must be worn by officers and PCSOs when in public view. A common sense approach is also adopted in times of emergency or impractical circumstances. The police have recently introduced the option of baseball caps or “bump caps” as part of the uniform whilst phasing out traditional helmets. The main reason for this is to provide gender-neutral hats to make the police force more inclusive. Not only this, but their lightweight nature makes it easier for officers to get in and out of vehicles without having to remove them.