Chrome plated Brunswick Star Eastbourne Borough Police Queen's Crown helmet plate with separate chrome Eastbourne Borough coat of arms insert, marked around edge "eastbourne Borough Police".
Use
For day use on a police helmet.
Context
Eastbourne Borough Police adopted a black Brunswick Star helmet badge with a white metal centre coat of arms c1951 replacing an earlier wreath style badge. Initially these had a King's crown but were subsequently replaced with ones bearing a Queen's crown. These black helmet plates were used for day and night duty.
Only in the early 1960s did Eastbourne Police adopt the all white metal helmet plate as shown here. These may have originally worn for day use on the the old style rose topped helmets in use at the time and the older black helmet plates retained for use at night. However this is not definitely known.
What is certain is that in 1964 a new coxcomb style helmet was adopted in Eastbourne Police and that this was exclusively worn at all times of the day with all white metal badges only. Retired officers state that at the time existing officers were given the option of wearing their old helmets with black badges for night use only.
This style of badge is called a Brunswick Star and its use on police helmets goes back to the 1870's. However it only became more common after 1934, when the Home Office attempted to standardise police uniforms and insignia and more forces adopted in.
