CAVALRY HELMET COLLECTION PART 3

[YeoHelmetGuy]

I thought that The British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum would be an appropriate place to showcase some of the dragoon helmets that are in my personal collection. I am always looking for quality Albert pattern and 1871 pattern helmets to add to the collection in particular a helmet to the Fife Light Horse, the Montgomershire Yeomanry Cavalry and either a helmet to the 1st West Yorkshire Dragoons or the Yorkshire dragoons.

Thank you for looking!

David

[Drmiggy]

A lovely collection, thanks for sharing.

[YeoHelmetGuy]

Thank you! I do enjoy collecting these helmets... interesting pieces of history and each a work of art to be admired!

David

[41st]

Beautiful examples there, thanks for showing. I’m in the process of restoring a MY helmet at the moment.

[YeoHelmetGuy]

Thank you! Are you also a dragoon helmet collector, too? I would enjoy seeing pictures of your Montgomeryshire helmet if you have some to share. What will you be doing with the helmet once you restore it?

David

[41st]

No I collect to Welsh Regiments and mainly 41st Foot 19th Century. The MY helmet was quite battered when I obtained it with many missing parts. I will be hanging on to it given my field of collecting. I’ll put some photos of the restoration process for you.

[YeoHelmetGuy]

Hello, thank you for your note. I can appreciate your desire to hang on to your helmet... dragoon helmets in good condition seem to be harder to find and parts even more difficult, I think. My perspective is from the United States where I live. I have to rely on internet searches for helmets for sale and they are few and far between, so I don't have the luxury of visiting antique shops or militaria shops or auction houses and am at the mercy of the quality of photographs provided... so far really good luck and very honest sellers. As for parts, they seem again, near unobtainable searching the web. I even put out and appeal here, on the Forum, for parts, a pair of white metal ear rosettes and a standard white metal plume spike to purchase for a Yorkshire Dragoon helmet... but alas, no assistance with that need... Again, thank you for appreciating these helmets that are a part of my collection.

Kind regards,

David

[Wmr-RHB]

Three threads full of beauty!

[YeoHelmetGuy]

Henk, thank you! I do think each helmet is a piece of art to be collected and viewed and admired and shared!

Regards,

David

[pjac]

Hi David,

Good to see another helmet collector. I also have a collection, with some matches to you i.e. Suffolk Yeomanry Cavalry and Lothians and Berwickshire Yeomanry Cavalry. The others are 1st King’s Dragoon Guards officer’s, troopers’ helmet to 1st Royal Dragoons, 5th DG, Fife Light Horse, 2nd West Yorkshire Dragoons, and Derbyshire Yeomanry Cavalry. The last two and the Suffolk are Albert pattern and the others the 1871 pattern.

For some reason Montgomeryshire Yeomanry helmets appear quite often, although I don’t know of one around at the moment. Fife Light Horse always difficult to find with the Thane’s sword intact.

I need brass rosettes for my Derbyshire which currently has white metal ones, such as the ones you’re looking for. If you have such things an exchange would be good !

Cheers

Patrick

[YeoHelmetGuy]

Hello Patrick,

Yes, very nice to see and hear from a fellow dragoon helmet collector! It sounds like you have marvelous helmet collection, you must share photos of your helmets here on the Forum, I would love to see them. I always want to find helmets for my collection that are regimental regulations correct, which so far, I have managed to do. I live in the United States so sourcing parts is a non-existent option for me. I have located both a Montgomeryshire helmet and a 2nd West Yorkshire helmet, but both have been tampered with, though both have nice skulls, but the Montgomershire helmet has an incorrect plume spike, and the 2nd West York has an incorrect plume spike and ear rosettes... hence my search for white metal rosettes to replace if I decide to purchase that particular helmet in-leu of other choices. I guess the short answer is I don't have anything to swap for your silver ear rosettes. Again, I hope you will post photos of your helmets, would enjoy seeing them!

Cheers,

David