Name/Title
Sussex Constabulary/Police female superintendent's or chief superintendent's hat 1973-1985Entry/Object ID
237 Description
Blue woollen "hostess" style women's police hat, with diced/checkered hat band, to which is attached a felt plate with a silver braided bar and a star shaped Queen's Crown cap badge with voided "EIIR" centre and "Sussex Police" in blue enamel ring, fitted with prongs to rear. No marks inside.Use
For use by a female superintendent or chief superintendent.Context
Sussex Constabulary adopted the so called "hostess" style hat in 1973 for female officers. These hats normally hat white tops, initially with removable cotton covers and subsequently with permanent vinyl tops. This hat without either suggests that within Sussex more senior officers had hats without the white tops.
As was the case with male officers, female superintendents and chief superintendents have rank insignia on their hats, as designated by a silver braid. This hat dates from 1973, until 1985 when the women's re-enforced "bowler" type hat was introduced. When it first came to the museum from Sussex Police it did not have a badge fitted, but that on it now is correct for the period and dates from 1974, when Sussex Constabulary became Sussex Police. these badges were issued to officers of inspector rank and above, with constables and sergeants having a plainer circular shaped cap badge without the blue ring. During this time it was usual for superintendents and above to be issued with either silver plated badges or badges made to look silver plated. Until the 1960s it was common for such badges to actually be made of silver, but this practice appears to have been abandoned by Sussex Constabulary.
For many years Janet Bond (later Skeef) was the only female superintendent within Sussex Constabulary/Police, serving in that rank from 1968 until 1976, and this hat may well have been hers.