Military Police Headgear
 

Hi All,

I have shamelessly pinched these photos from the RMP museum's facebook page as I'm sure people on this forum will be interested in seeing them.

I know the museum curator certainly was on the forum so if he wants them taking down I will happily do so.

There are two photos, one showing the scarlet Broderick cap and the other showing (amongst other things) a helmet marked up with an MMP flash.

Michael

They're interesting items, my only military police headgear are a 1960's forage cap and two steel helmets, one a Mk IV, the other a Mk V.

The Mk IV:

Nice examples Leigh, like the pristine application of scrim to the netting, not quite the same as a pile of wet hessian strips dripping down the neck and shoulders after a night in the bottom of a trench, hey?

Simon.

The Mk V. The liner "sock" isn't the issue item, it's a cap comforter that has been opened at one end and had a hole cut in the side so that it can be worn as a balaclava.

No, and no hessian cover daubed with boot polish.
Ah - I love the smell of "Cherry Blossom" in the morning...........

The stencils for these sort of helmet insignia are easily available nowadays so that's a bit of a worry.
One of Mike Chappells "The British Soldier in the 20th Century" books, no. 2 in the series, "Field Service Head Dress 1902 To The Present" has an illustration of an RMP helmet with the MP front badge, red band and a Lance corporal or corporals chevrons on the sides.

A 1969 dated cap, it's never had buttons or badge fitted so that's the way it stays.

Here's one of mine .....a bit of a favourite.
https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ctureid=163602

Ah, a "Blue Cap", nice - I only have a few "Vulnerable Points" insignia, no headgear.

yet to get a Brodrick cap or any MP items except possibly a WWII pulp m/cycle helmet with red band but no badge.

There's some very nice items being shown here, I'd love to get a WW2 marked helmet and that blue cap is VERY nice.

Michael

Military Police forage cap c.1896
 

This Forage cap worn by Military Police NCOs from c.1896 was once a key part of my now largely long-gone military police collection.

https://www.britishbadgeforum.com/fo...ictureid=87755

Graham

Wow, there can't be many of those out and about.

Michael

No, I know I keep saying it but "nice".
The progression of models of caps, berets and helmets would make a great display.

Very nice Graham, I have one pill box cap in my collection from that period, obviously not mp though.

I have a ladies cap :) and a gent's cap. I can't remember the dates.

Carrying on the theme

To me, that's the classic when it comes to RMP headgear - I think Red Caps then I think that cap.
(I have to admit that I automatically think "Monkeys" rather than "Red Caps" simply because that was the term "everybody" used for RMP back in my army days, same as RTR are to me "Tankies", RE ""Brickies" and R Anglian "Angle Bangles").

Not mine unfortunately just a couple of images saved from ebay.

CMP FS Cap and RMP Riding Hat from the 1970's I think.

Cheers
Sean

The less glamourous dpm cap with MP badge.

Tim

MP
 

The RMP NCO in DPM could be Cpl Chris Toft, a big collector in the 1980's.

It does look like Chris

It is!

Tim

I've had this Mk V helmet in my possession for a while and have always been dubious about the MP markings. Any comments would be appreciated.

Dennis

I'm not too clued up on these lids but it's a Mk IV isn't it?
The Mk V being the same shell but with the "spider and sock" liner.
The green painted outer shell looks out of keeping with the condition of the inside.
Although it looks like it could be fairly fresh the insignia seems unnecessarily "different" for a collector's add-on.
I'm unsure either way about it but the condition of the helmet on the outside doesn't seem right for the inside.
Is the insignia in that form known for usage in Australia?

Hello Leigh, helmets aren't my field either and like you I was concerned about the condition of the outside compared to the inside.

I have never seen that sort of MP markings on an Australian helmet so I was assuming it was British.

Dennis

RMP Cap
 

A little nostalgia, my RMP SD cap from the early 1970's. and an image of the label.

Regards

Nice - gilding metal badge and buttons? Was that the norm for RMP caps at the time?
The label indicates manufacture early '70's.

Not headgear but as this is a RMP thread I thought I might as well post it here rather than in a more general section of the forum - a pouch belt from the 1970's, pouch and belt made of plastic.

RMP Mounted Troop
 

One in my collection

The caps were issued with brass GS buttons and we were issued AA buttons, although issued with AA cap badges mine was a private purchase, my RSM was happy for his NCO's to wear brass cap badges as long as they were 'Highly Polished' it was permitted to purchase plastic chin straps also but I didn't like them. On the topic of Brass badges in the early 1970's we were still issued with Brass RMP shoulder titles.
Regards.

Thanks for that info.