Name/Title
Black leather Sussex Police traffic officer's motorcycle jacket c2000Entry/Object ID
2024-1Description
Black leather blouson style motorcycle jacket, double breasted style with zip fastenings. Over the left breast is a velcro attached embroidered badge marked with letter and numbers "B126". On the outside is a small manufacturer's fabric Union Jack badge and inside is a label with Union Jack marked "42 Made in UK".Use
For use by a Sussex Police Traffic officerContext
Despite the widespread use of motorcycles across the police forces of Sussex from the 1920s onwards, the provision of safety equipment, especially uniform, was very limited. To begin with it was usually restricted to leather gauntlets, googles and sometimes boots. Even motorcycle helmets were not common until the 1950s, with most motorcycle officers wearing caps. By the 1960s officers had proper helmets but still wore normal police uniform tunics with tapered woollen breeches, to allow motorcycle boots to be worn. Officer's riding lightweight motorcycles, normally wore normal uniform, with the addition of specially re-enforced police helmets, often called "noddy helmets", as officers were instructed to acknowledge senior officer's by nodding, to prevent them from trying to salute and loose control of the motorcycle.
Within Sussex Police, the quality of uniform for motorcyclists slowly improved and by the 1980s purpose made nylon waterproof motorcycle jackets were provided, with reflective "Police" panels on the rear and additional hi visibility stripes on the sleeves, which were designed to be worn with a high viz belt. They had a reflective "Police" badge over the left breast pocket and metal letters with the officer's number. Traffic officers riding large motorcycles were also issued with leather motorcycle trousers.
By the late 1980s Sussex Police Traffic motorcyclists were also being issued with leather motorcycle jackets. These were of an interesting style being long and more of a tunic than a traditional short motorcycle jacket, having the officer's metal numbers over the left breast. These continued to be worn into the 1990s, and were then replaced with more commercial styles, consisting of short heavily padded leather motorcycle blouson jackets, with matching trousers, as worn by civilian motorcyclists. These continue to be worn, usually in conjunction with a high visibility over jacket.
This particular jacket was issued to PC B126 George Barclay, who was a Traffic officer based at Brighton. It probably dates from the 2000s and has matching trousers (item 2024.2. The museum also has one of PC Barclay's earlier style "tunic" type motorcycle jackets (HC3) as well as a pair of his boots (item 2024.3)