Name/Title
Sussex Constabulary "GEC" battery electric torch c1970Entry/Object ID
2374Description
Red/mauve coloured plastic battery powered electric torch, with lens at right angles to body, and chrome plated metal slide switch on side and metal spring clip to rear. Maker's mark on bottom "GEC Made in England". Scratched in panel one side "810" and the other "H Hother 810"Use
For an officer to use at night for illuminationContext
In the 1960s UK police forces began to move away from box shaped lantern style electric torches and began to adopt cylinder models instead. This particular torch was used by Brighton and Sussex Constabulary/Police sergeant, Herbert Hother. It has his Sussex Constabulary warrant number "810" scratched on it so it must date from between 1968 and 1980. Sussex Police issued identical torches made of green plastic in the 1970s and 1980s, so this is thought to have been a Sussex Constabulary issue model. The right angled design is to allow the torch to be clipped to a uniform tunic or coat and illuminate the area in front without the user having to hold it. Similar torches such as this were used by the British military in the 1970s and 1980s.
Within Sussex Police in the 1980s many officers preferred to privately purchase torches manufactured by the American company "Maglite" and eventually in the 1990s the 2 D cell model was adopted by the force as a standard issue torch, though it was subsequently replaced with the much smaller "Mini Maglite" an AA battery size model.