Name/Title
West Sussex Constabulary chrome helmet plate c1958 -1967Entry/Object ID
505Description
Chrome plated Brunswick Star helmet plate with Queen's Crown, marked "West Sussex Constabulary" with a single pressed West Sussex coat of arms centre.Use
For day use on a police helmet.Context
The use of the "Queen's" or St. Edward's Crown on this helmet plate dates from 1952 to 1967. Generally speaking chrome or white metal helmet badges such as this were intended for use during daytime with almost identical black painted metal helmet plates being used during the night. The rationale was that the black metal would not reflect light and alert criminals to a police officer's presence.
In West Sussex Constabulary, though, black plates were used exclusively both at night and during the day from 1936, when helmets were re-introduced, until 1958, when they were replaced altogether by all chrome examples like the one pictured Worthing Gazette 3/12/58 page 10). At this time all white metal/chrome plated badges were becoming more popular nationally and began replacing black ones. In West Sussex these chrome badges were used for both day and night wear, until the force was amalgamated with the formation of Sussex Constabulary in 1968. There are two versions of these chrome helmet plates, an earlier one with a separate coat of arms shield and a later one like the one pictured, made out of a single pressing.
This style of badge is called a Brunswick Star and its use on police helmets goes back to the 1870's. However it only became more common after 1934, when the Home Office attempted to standardise police uniforms and insignia and more forces adopted in.