Description
Physical description
helmet
Bowl-shaped helmet painted dark blue with the letters, 'S.C.' stencilled in white above a pair of 'silver' decal rank stars, and 'POLICE' stencilled also in white at the base. The helmet is complete with canvas sprung chinstrap and black American cloth and rubber liner.
Label
Britain's numerous county, city and borough police forces were not only to carry out their normal duties during the Second World War as they would in peacetime, but had added responsibilities during hostilities. Often the first to sound warning sirens during air raids, they evacuated people from bomb sites & took control of the area, took custody of downed airmen as well as so-called 'enemy aliens'. With Regular officers being conscripted into the armed forces the Police maintained their extended role by virtue of having extra hands recruited in the shape of three reserve groups. The First Police Reserve consisted of retired officers (aged over 55); the Second Reserve was comprised of the Special Constabulary; and the last (particularly in London) were Police War Reserve.
64,900 Regular officers were serving in 1941 (including 400 female personnel), and these were backed up by 39,500 auxiliaries on full-time service, with a supplement of a further 160,500 part-time.
History note
Britain's numerous county, city and borough police forces were not only to carry out their normal duties during the Second World War as they would in peacetime, but had added responsibilities during hostilities. Often the first to sound warning sirens during air raids, they evacuated people from bomb sites & took control of the area, took custody of downed airmen as well as so-called 'enemy aliens'. With Regular officers being conscripted into the armed forces the Police maintained their extended role by virtue of having extra hands recruited in the shape of three reserve groups. The First Police Reserve consisted of retired officers (aged over 55); the Second Reserve was comprised of the Special Constabulary; and the last (particularly in London) were Police War Reserve.
64,900 Regular officers were serving in 1941 (including 400 female personnel), and these were backed up by 39,500 auxiliaries on full-time service, with a supplement of a further 160,500 part-time.
Note - this helmet was once catalogued as UNI 373.