Name/Title
Sussex Police sergeant's tunic c1974Entry/Object ID
1094Description
Black wool sergeant's tunic with open collar, four large buttons to the front, two breast pockets and two hip pockets, all pockets having small buttons, and a fixed wool belt with a chrome plated two prong buckle. There are two small button fastened epaulettes, each having the chrome plated letter "A" and numbers "780", and each label has a chrome plated Sussex Constabulary/Sussex Police coat of arms shield badge. All buttons are chrome plated and marked "Sussex Police" with a Queen's chrome and stamped at the rear "Grantham". Over the left breast pocket is a medal ribbon for the Police Long Service and Good Conduct medal. Each arm has a felt badge attached, embroidered with three thin silver/white chevron sergeant's stripes. Attached inside is a paper label marked "Grantham", and typed "Sussex Police... Hove" and the name "Aspinall Sgt A780", along with certain measurements. There is also a collar label marked "Tailored by Grantham in England"Use
For use by a Sussex Police sergeantContext
This style of open necked tunic with a belt was adopted for male sergeants and constables by Sussex Constabulary on formation in 1968 and was used within the re-named Sussex Police until the mid to late 1980s, when it was replaced with a simpler style of tunic without a belt.
The "Sussex Police" marked buttons on this particular example date it from 1974 onwards, when the force changed its name from Sussex Constabulary to Sussex Police. It is clearly identified by the stripe insignia as having been issued to a sergeant and the epaulettes and label inside, identify the officer as PS A780 Aspinall stationed at Hove. The sergeant stripes are of a thin type suggesting this tunic is an earlier example, probably from the mid 1970s, as certainly by the 1980s Sussex Police were using much thicker and bolder silver coloured braided stripes on sergeant's tunics. This tunic is pictured with a white shirt for display purposes, but would have originally have been worn with a light blue shirt and black tie. Until the mid 1990s most police forces, including Sussex Police, used blue shirts for male constables and sergeants, with only the ranks of inspector and above having white shirts.
The medal ribbon is for the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal which was first instituted in 1951. To qualify for the medal an officer had to be currently serving, have completed 22 years and be of good conduct. In 2010 the period of service was reduced to 20 years, in order to bring the police service in line with long service awards issued to the fire and ambulance, services. So at the time PS Aspinall was wearing this tunic he had completed at least 22 years service.
These tunics have a very interesting arrangement with the left breast pocket. Not only is there an "outside" pocket as can be seen, but inside the pocket is a divider allowing access to a much longer "inside" pocket. The reason for this arrangement is not known, though it may have something to do with the type of personal radios issued in the late 1960s or possible to contain some type of report book that was too big for the other pockets ?
The paper size labels suggest that these tunics were made to an officer's specific measurements , which are recorded on them.