Name/Title
West Sussex Constabulary male constable's closed collar tunic c1936 - 1950Entry/Object ID
2347Description
Black wool constable's tunic with high closed collar, seven chrome plated buttons to the front, two breast pockets and two epaulettes, both the pockets and epaulettes having small chrome plated buttons attached. All but one of the buttons are marked "West Sussex Constabulary" with a King's crown and marked on rear "Special Quality". The remaining button, to the front is marked with a Queen's Crown and "Sussex Police" and to the rear "Grantham". On each side of the collar are the chrome plated metal numbers "104". There are holes in each epaulette where something was attached. There is extensive moth damage to front right side.Use
For use by a male constable in West Sussex ConstabularyContext
Closed neck tunics with two breast pockets were used by constables and sergeants in West Sussex Constabulary from c1905, replacing an earlier tunic without pockets, designed to be worn with a leather belt.
To begin with these breast pocketed tunics had five front buttons, but in 1936, a number of changes were made to uniforms, including the introduction of a seven buttoned tunic like the one pictured. At the same time police helmets were re-introduced for the first time since they were replaced by caps for all officers in 1912.
As elsewhere, in West Sussex Constabulary, the officer's number was attached to either side of the collar, hence the term "collar number" when referring to an officer's ID number. However in the West Sussex force the officer's also wore the metal letters "WS" on their tunic epaulettes. Before the introduction of epaulettes on the tunics, these letters were worn on the collar next to the number. On this particular tunic, there are holes where the letters were originally attached to the epaulettes but it does retain the officer's number "104" on each side of the collar. The addition of the Sussex Police button has been added sometime after 1974, possibly so the tunic could be used in a force display or pageant, or for school's officer use.
This style of tunic continued to be worn in West Sussex until March 1950 when an open necked tunic was adopted for constables and sergeants, worn with a shirt and tie. To begin with the closed neck tunics were retained for night duty but eventually they were completely replaced by the open necked examples for use by regular officers. However special constables within West Sussex Constabulary continued to wear closed neck tunics for a number of years.
Following the adoption of the open necked tunic the metal letters "WS" were no longer worn on tunic epaulettes, which now had the officer's number attached. Instead a small shield badge displaying the West Sussex coat of arms was placed on each lapel.