Name/Title
Brighton Borough Police chrome plated day helmet plate 1952-1967Entry/Object ID
574Description
Single pressed chrome plated Brunswick Star Queen's Crown Brighton Borough Police helmet plate, marked "Brighton Police", with coat of arms centreUse
For use on a police helmet during daytime.Context
The use of a "Queen's" or St. Edward's Crown on this badge or helmet plate, dates it from 1952-1967. Generally speaking chrome or white metal helmet plates such as this were intended for use during daytime, with almost identical black ones being used during the night. The rationale was that a black helmet badge would not reflect as much light at night and alert a criminal to an officer's presence and this was the practice in Brighton, with different helmets being used at day and night (see items 575 and 576 for examples of contemporary black badges). Unlike Brighton, though, many police forces simply used black painted badges with white metal centres for day and night use.
This style of badge is called a Brunswick star and its use on police helmets goes back to the 1870s. However it only became more common after 1934 when the Home Office attempted to standardise police uniforms and insignia.
This particular helmet plate is made from a single pressing, meaning that the coat of arms in the centre is not separate. Other Brighton helmet plates from the 1952-1967 period have separate centres and it is thought that the single pressed versions were later and introduced in the 1960s.