Police headress north of the border

[guest311]

I was looking at the bachmann police and security figures set, and noted that some have flat hats, and some have helmets.

do / did the Scottish police forces wear helmets, or have they always worn flat hats ?

also, do / did BTP in Scotland wear helmets or flat hats ?

I'm thinking of the mid to late 1980's.

many thanks in advance for any help with this,

cheers

alan

[Luke Piewalker]

I've never paid that much attention, but I think Edward Woodward wore a flat one in The Wicker Man, and he was meant to be a Scottish policeman...

[Malc]

Helmets don't work in patrol cars. Beat coppers wear helmets (generally) mobile coppers wear hats.

[guest311]

many thanks for the answers so far.

I know you quite often got issued both helmet and flat hat to wear depending on whether on foot or in a vehicle, but I had a feeling that the Scottish forces didn't wear the helmets, only flat hats.

when I was at Paddington on BTP too many years ago, it was helmets, tunics and capes,but if you were out in the cars it was flat hats.

I wonder if BTP in Scotland did also wear helmets, or not.

perhaps I should jsut stick to them 'off scene' 

of course these days it seems to be all scruff order, basball caps, overalls and ballistic helmets - not much chance to see a proper coppers uniform 

[Luke Piewalker]

A quick google reveals Scottish police have been wearing caps since the 30s, with the helmet being optional, and now not being part of the uniform. Certainly a look at pictures from the miners strike in Scotland show them wearing caps. Still working on finding pictures of the Transport Police from that era though.

[guest311]

many thanks for that.

found this,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_uniforms_and_equipment_in_the_United_Kingdom

which implies some Scottish forces used helmets at one time.

IIRC when I was at school in Worcester in the 60's, the police there wore helmets with a tall spike on the top, and a silver chain chinstrap across the front, which was a relic of their original role as a yeomanry regiment.

unfortunately, all these sort of things get lost these days, in a sea of polo shirts, baseball caps, stab vests and hi-vis.

I must be getting old 

[edwin_m]

IIRC the Scottish police do, or did in the 80s, always go around in twos.  Something to do with Scottish law requiring a second witness for anything that happened. 

[EtchedPixels]

IIRC when I was at school in Worcester in the 60's, the police there wore helmets with a tall spike on the top

I think the spikes went back a long time. My grandfather told stories of leaning over railings and putting apples on the spikes of coppers hats.

[javlinfaw7]

Glasgow police have used peaked caps With a black and white band ,Stillitoe Tartan, since 1950 ,I had a friend who's husband was in BTP in the eighties and he always wore a peaked cap. Glasgow's Police Museum has both photographs and uniform histories

[guest311]

Glasgow police have used peaked caps With a black and white band ,Stillitoe Tartan, since 1950 ,I had a friend who's husband was in BTP in the eighties and he always wore a peaked cap. Glasgow's Police Museum has both photographs and uniform histories

many thanks, that looks like the helmet figures will need 'moding' to replace their helmets with flat hats.

the others can be used as-is.

again many thanks

alan

[Agrippa]

BTW, the Glasgow police caps had a checkboard pattern so that they would be
more easily seen as in the thirties most men in Glasgow ( and elsewhere)
wore flat caps (bunnets in Scotland). The check pattern appears round the world.
Another great Scottish invention !

[Agrippa]

Didn't know Saddam Hussein had become a plod.

[mr bachmann]

cant help with the uniform , but Dumfries lot are looking after a few points for me 
(no i was'nt drinking, or on the phone)
well it was sunday , so beware lads differant laws north of the border on the sabath.

alan

[Agrippa]

Don't follow your banter mate , try talking English.

[javlinfaw7]

There is no Dumfries lot ,Scotland has a national police force now ,Scots Law is different from English every day.