Name/Title
Sussex Constabulary male officer's Gannex raincoat c1968-1974Entry/Object ID
2238.6Description
Black coloured Gannex cloth double breasted knee length raincoat, with two rows of four large black plastic buttons, two of which are under the lapels, and loops and a small button on each shoulder, to attach epaulettes. The inside of the collar is made of a knitted material. There are two slanted hip pockets and a button hole on the left lapel. All buttons are marked "Sussex Constabulary" with a Queen's crown and on rear " J.A. Grove & Sons Halesowen". Inside is a label marked "Huggins of Bristol Made in Scotland" and another with Royal appointment warrants and marked "Manufacturers and Suppliers of Gannex Products Kagan Textiles Ltd Elland England A GANNEX PRODUCT". There is a third label made of paper detailing cleaning instructions.Use
For a Sussex Constabulary officer to wear as an outer garmentContext
From the late Victorian period police officers were issued with both capes and thick woollen overcoats for use at night and during the winter. These coats are often referred to by the military term "greatcoat", and both single and double breasted styles were used by the police. By the 1960s though, police forces were replacing overcoats with varying styles of raincoats such as the one pictured. These were usually made of Gannex cloth, and consequently all similar police raincoats were referred to as "Gannexes". They were water repellant and much lighter than woollen overcoats, which became even heavier when wet.
Gannex cloth was invented in 1951 by Joseph Kagan, and consists of an outer layer of nylon and an inner layer of wool, with air acting as an insulator, between them. Gannex raincoats were famously worn by the labour politician and prime minister Harold Wilson, who promoted them on behalf of the manufacturer.
The buttons and label on this particular raincoat identify it as having been made for Sussex Constabulary. The Amalgamation Memorandum document from 1967 on the formation of the force, states that officers were not to be issued with overcoats, but instead: two Gannex heavyweight coats, one Gannex lightweight coat, a cape and a Gaberdine raincoat.
This coat is known to have been issued to PS Herbert Hother, who had been a sergeant in Brighton Borough Police and went onto serve in Sussex Constabulary/Police until his retirement in 1980. The "Sussex Constabulary buttons date it to between 1968 and 1974 and it would have had epaulettes fitted made of the same material with the officers warrant numbers, and in Sergeant Mother's case metal sergeant insignia.