Good thread. I'm glad I saw that page from Dave's book posted above, it answered some questions I had about the development of the badges.
I had previously relied on an article (Police Insignia Collectors Association issue 189/22) which stated:
" Helmets were discontinued in 1907 and replaced by peaked caps, bearing an uncrowned 8 pointed star.
During the 1939-45 war the force was temporarily merged with the RUC. Although it retained its uniform, the badge was changed to include the Kings Crown. The badge is still in use today."
I knew this to be incorrect, as I have images of BHP constables in forage caps wearing the old helmet plate, dating 1909-1921. It is a little hard to see if they are the full 2" (5cm) size rather than the smaller version, but they look fairly large.
What was the source for the commencement date of 1927 for the 1.5" (3.5cm) cap badge version?
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