The Home Service helmet
Ray Westlake looks at the distinctive British Army headdress introduced in 1878
Ray Westlake looks at the distinctive British Army headdress and its badges that was introduced in 1878.
The British Home Service helmet was introduced for full dress wear under the authority of General Order 40 of 1 May 1878. For details of its construction we can refer to the 1900 edition of Dress Regulation for Officers of the Army: ‘Helmet, Universal Home Pattern
(a) Cork, covered with blue cloth in four seams, two each side; peaks front and back, stiffened and covered with cloth with a seam at each side; the front peak bound with metal 3/16 inch wide, the back peak with patent leather 1/8 inch wide. Above the peaks and going round the helmet a cloth band ¾ inch wide, and stitched top and bottom. Back peak to centre crown 10½ inches; front peak to centre of crown 10¼ inches; side to centre of crown 8 inches. Curb-chain chin strap, the links 5/8 inch wide and the strap lined with patent leather, backed with black velvet. Rose fastenings at the sides; convex bar ¼ inch wide, down the centre of the back, and to the bottom of the back peak. The bar is in one piece, and is fastened to the helmet by means of two studs and fastened prolongation of the bar under the back peak. At the top of the helmet, a spike mounted on a cross-piece base.
The dimensions of the spike are: Height of spike from place of insertion in the top of the rose of the cross-piece base 2¾ inches. Total hight of spike and base 3¼ inches. Diameter of spike at point of contact with the top rose of base 7/8 inch.
The cross-piece base is of metal; there is a rose at the top into which the spike is screwed, and a smaller rose on each of the four terminations of the base. A hook at the back of the base, to which the chin strap is attached when not in required to be worn under the chin. The width of the base from the point of the front termination to the point of the rear termination, measured in a straight line underneath, 4 and 3/8 inches, that from side to side 3½ inches. The base is attached to the helmet by four screws
and nuts. For ventilation, the base is perforated with four holes. A collet is inserted in the crown of the helmet.
(b) In Field and Garrison Artillery, in the Army Service Corps, the Royal Army Medical Corps, and the Army Veterinary Department, a ball in a leaf cup is substituted for the spike. Height of ball and cup, 1¾ inches.
(c) In Light Infantry, the helmet is covered with dark green cloth.’
Regarding the helmet colours: A very dark green was also used by rifle regiments and dark blue by the artillery and other supporting services. Militia and Volunteer corps wearing all green or grey uniforms wore helmets of matching colours. Balls were used in lieu of spikes by the corps mentioned as they were in regular contact with horses which could have been hurt as the rider bent down to adjust girth straps. Infantry officers, when mounted, also replaced the spike with a ball for the same reason.
In gilt or gilding metal, the officers’ helmet plates of infantry regiments comprised an eight-pointed star surmounted by a crown. This then acted as a universal backplate upon which was placed a laurel wreath and Garter inscribed, ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense.’ Regimental numbers were still in use
in 1878 and it would be these, either in Roman or Arabic, that were placed in the centre of the first helmet plates. Special approved badges, such as the Antelope of the 6th Regiment, White Horse of the 8th, Gibraltar Castle of the 12th and Prince of Wales’s Plumes of the 82nd were, however, permitted and they were usually placed above the numbers. Other ranks helmet plates were much less elaborate affairs and were constructed of a universal crowned eight-pointed, diestamped star with a laurel wreath, Garter and motto. Regimental numbers were manufactured as separate items and then secured to the backplate from the rear.
Numbers were discontinued when the so-called County or Territorial regiments of the Cardwell Scheme were formed in 1881, their place being taken by authorised badges for all. At the
same time, the new regimental titles appeared below the Garter on silver scrolls. As before, other ranks helmet plates were basic. With us still were the crowned star and laurel wreath universal backplate, but gone were the motto-inscribed Garters. The helmet plate centre was again a separate item, but this time it took the form of a circle inscribed with a much-shortened version of the regimental title, eg ‘West Surrey’, ‘Liverpool’, ‘Bedfordshire’ or ‘West Kent.’ Within this was an authorised badge of the same type as that used by the officers.
The centres of some other ranks helmet plates were permanently fixed to the backplate. Most, however, were separate items which could be attached to the front of the universal backplate via three long lugs which passed through corresponding holes. The idea here was so that the centre could be removed if required and, together with a separate crown, be used as a glengarry badge. The two items were placed together (crown over circle) with the aid of a shaped
backplate and split pins which gave the appearance of a one-piece item. Onepiece specimens do, however, exist. Helmet plates for both officers and other ranks appeared with what collectors now term as ‘Queen’s’ or ‘King’s’ crowns, the latter following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.
So far I have dealt with the infantry regiments of the Regular Army. Helmets were not worn by the Foot Guards, Fusilier or Highland regiments. The
King’s Royal Rifle Corps had helmets with Maltese Cross plates from 1878, but these were discarded in favour of the busby in 1890. Militia regiments, before they became numbered battalions of line regiments in 1881, wore the Home Service helmet with their own central badges. Rifle Volunteer Corps also used helmet plates, many after 1881 and their becoming re-designated as ‘Volunteer Battalions’, using the same patterns as their parent regiment, but in white metal and with additional title scrolls. Both the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers wore helmet plates based on the Royal Arms. Other supporting corps had helmets with star-pattern plates, the centres of which usually displayed initials such as OSC (Ordnance Store Corps), APC (Army Pay Corps) or AVC (Army Veterinary Corps). The Royal Army Medical Corps had the Red Cross, the Army Ordnance Corps, three cannon balls and three cannons and the School of Musketry, crossed rifles. Helmet plates worn by the Military Police display royal cyphers in the centre, ‘VR’ or ‘ERVII’. Specimens with the latter have been noted with the Queen’s crown.
Returning to the Volunteers of the 1878-1908 period, the first helmet plates worn were in the vast majority of cases of a Maltese Cross design. Usually, the
centre of the cross would take the form of a circle inscribed with the name of the corps. Within this, a bugle-horn was often placed, but often the device used was a representation of the relevant county or city arms. Star plates were, however, worn by some and these too would either display a bugle or coat of arms. A note to collectors here. Following Rifle regiment custom, most Rifle Volunteer corps wore pouch-belts with a device place centrally between a whistle and chain set. In most cases the plate in the centre would be a Maltese Cross identical in design and size to that worn on the helmet. But the difference lies on the reverse of the plate. Helmet plates had lug fixings, whereas the pouch-belt plate was attached via a screw and nut device. Another thing to take into consideration when identifying a plate is any number that appears within the design. In most cases, this will indicate the ranking of the corps concerned, viz 1st Lanarkshire. Each country within the Volunteer Force held a precedence number and it is these that often appear on Rifle Volunteer items. Take Monmouthshire, for example. This county ranked as 36 and this number can be seen on many of its badges.
Just 10 individual corps were raised in Monmouthshire; there never was a 36th. In 1908 the Volunteer Force stood down and in its place the Territorial Force was created. The TF would also wear the helmet, either with Maltese Cross or star plates.
Full dress uniforms, and with them the Home Service helmet, would not return for general use after the Great
War, making only the odd appearance on special occasions. More recently, however, they have experienced something of a revival, if only for wear by bandsmen. ■