Name/Title
Sussex Police assistant chief constable's tunic c1990-2000Entry/Object ID
342Description
Black wool assistant chief constable's open necked tunic with four large buttons to the front, two breast pockets and two hip pockets, all pockets having small buttons. Attached to each shoulder is a silver wire wreath insignia badge containing crossed tipstaves and each lapel has an applied gorget patch with a silver threaded stripe topped with a small button. All of the buttons are silver plated and marked with a Queen's crown inside a laurel wreath and marked to the rear "Grantham". Over the left breast pocket are medal ribbons for the Queen's Police Medal and the Police Long Service and Good Conduct medal. Attached inside is an embroidered label marked "J.Compton Sons and Webb Ltd by Appointment to HM The Queen Uniform Makers" and a size label marked "J.Compton Sons and Webb Ltd Sussex Police Jacket Male size 31A Chest 112 Length 80".Use
For use by a male Sussex Police assistant chief constableContext
In the past it was common for chief officer ranks to have better quality tunics than those of other officers. These were either obtained privately by the individuals or on their behalf by police force uniform departments, sometimes these uniforms were bespoke for the officers concerned. In Sussex Police this practice seems to have been in decline by the late 1980s/early 1990s, with assistant chief constables in particular wearing modified versions of off the peg tunics, as worn by all officers. However there was some inconsistency, Sir Roger Birch the chief constable until 1993 wore specially made tunics ( item 1837 ) and even his replacement Paul Whitehouse, though preferring off the peg tunics, still adopted a more elaborate style than that issued to most officers, with a belt and epaulettes (item 611). This situation has continued , at least with Sussex chief constables, with the last male one, Giles York who retired in 2020, favouring a belted tunic with epaulettes, unlike that available to other officers.
This particular tunic is of a type without a belt or epaulettes that was adopted for the majority of male officers in Sussex Police in the late 1980s, replacing a very similar style, which had distinctive protruding upper lapels and was made by "Grantham". It has had standard "Sussex Police" buttons replaced with generic chief officer silver plated buttons with a Queen's crown within a laurel wreath. Other than these and the addition of gorget patches, replacing Sussex Police shield lapel badges, this tunic is identical to those issued to all lower ranked uniform male officers in the force, not withstanding that they would have had different or no rank insignia. The medal ribbons are for the Queen's Police medal and the Police Long Service and Good Conduct medal, which at the time this tunic was probably in use, would have been issued after 22 years service. After 2010, the time required to qualify was reduced to 20 years to bring the police in line with the other emergency services.
These tunics were subsequently replaced in the mid 1990s with a simpler version with much inferior buttons only decorated with a crown and no wording. In 2002 Sussex Police stopped issuing tunics to most officers and thereafter a stock was held by the clothing store to be temporarily issued to officers when needed for ceremonial occasions. These were to be returned afterwards for future re use and re numbering. After this time tunics were no longer required to be worn by officers attending court, which had previously been the rule.
It is not known which Sussex Police assistant chief constable used this tunic but given the style it is unlikely to have been anyone appointed after 2000, and it would have to have been one who was awarded the QPM whilst in that rank or lower. The open necked shirt is only shown for display purposes, as this jacket would have been worn with a tie.