Fake Foreign Service Helmet Badge
 

An advanced collector friend of mine is in the process of disposing of his collection and knowing that I have a slight interest in all things Norfolk, he very kindly gave me this badge.

Now, he was of the opinion that it is the "real deal", but as we know the Norfolk Regiment wore the large Britannia badge and then the standard Norfolk badge. Given what we know, I am of the opinion that this is fake. Interestingly you can see where the staples were meant to be or have been removed. The Britannia is also brass, which I have never seen before.

A curious badge and one that I have never seen before.

Images of badges worn in the Foreign Service Helmet

Hello Nozzer,
I’ve learnt this year that FSH badges can be a complicated subject. In the case of the Irish Guards, even Kipling and King appear to have been confused between officially sanctioned badges, and those made or adapted by individuals.
In my opinion this badge may well prove to be a FSH Badge, or at the least an adaptation of one badge to be unofficially worn in FSH. Don’t write it off just yet!
Kind regards,
Sean

Agreed. Looks like an original HPC with loops removed and slider added, hopefully at the time.

Cant account for being all brass though.

regards

I wonder if the original centre piece of Britannia was lost at some stage and replaced with a brass example. The Britannia looks poorly made to me with a sort-of halo of extra metal around the face, and also the soldering looks wrong, more hand soldered with lumps of solder left over.
Cheers,
Alex

Nozzer, could the original wm Britannia have been replaced by a collar badge?. Are there any signs of fixings having been removed from the rear?. I wonder if it might be a field repair and slider job for someone rather than them having no badge at all. Stranger things have happened. :)

Norfolk all brass HPC
 

Here is my example of an all brass Norfolks HPC. Very nice strike,good detail.good colour metal.

Well thats certainly a one piece original gilding metal HPC so they must have been made.
Thanks for showing.

regards

It's an oddity especially as to my knowledge there is not a single photo of any HPC in use for any regiment as a FSH!

While I would not rule out a regtl conversion, it's unproven. the fact that you had 2 regular battalions meant that there was often regtl differences in dress and badges depending on which battalion you were in.

That is very nice and one that I have never seen. Is it struck in one piece?

If ever you decide that you no longer want it, let me know and I can give it a good home :)

I don't think it is a collar. No signs of lugs being removed and it is not a pattern that I have seen used as such.

Thanks to everyone who has replied.