ROYAL PAY CORP GREAT COAT

The Army Pay Corp was formed in 1893 obtaining Royal status in 1920. This coat belonged to Lieutenant Arthur Thomas Smith, who served during WW2. Unfortunately it does not contain a makers name.

Donated by Mr T Angove

A1514

ADRIAN M26 HELMET

The helmet proved to be fairly efficient against shrapnel, cheap, and easy to be manufactured. As a consequence, more than three million Adrian's were produced, and they were widely adopted by other countries including Belgium, Brazil, China, Greece, Italy (including license-built versions), Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Siam, U.S.A., U.S.S.R., and Yugoslavia. It was also adopted briefly by the National Army in the Irish Free State. Each of these nations added its own insignia to the front of the helmet. The badge on the front is not original, it shows the Franc-Garde (English Free Guard) they were the armed wing of the French Milice (Militia) who fought alone or alongside German forces in major battles against the Maquis from late 1943 to August 1944. The Franc-Garde, soon announced the creation of the French Militia on 30 January 1943, was actually implemented June 2 the same year in Calabria camp near Vichy. Its field of action, initially confined to the former free zone, was formally extended to the former occupied zone as of January 27 1944. His role was to support the national revolution undertaken by the Vichy government in predominantly involved in policing, but also assisting, inter alia, the clearing of bombed cities. In the words of Secretary General of the French Militia, Joseph Darnand, in his keynote address January 30, 1943, the Franc-Garde should be "educated and technically prepared to fight to be always ready to maintain the order ".

A1444

WW1 BRITISH WEBBING SET 1908 PATTERN, 1908

Originally conceived by an American Army Officer Captain Mills, webbing was a new form of material of pre-shrunk cotton. Being tougher than leather and did not shrink in wet conditions.
The British Government after seeing the equipment arranged to have copies made and tested it in India, it was an immediate success, and issued it to the troops in 1908.
Using a 3inch wide waist belt and 2inch straps with ten pockets each containing three chargers of 5 rounds, also included were a frog for bayonet and helve, and haversack (not present). the water bottle and cradle is a 1903 pattern and is not part of the 1908 set, also the felt cover has rotted.
It was a revolutionary design, placing no restriction on the chest and being able to be taken on and off in one piece.

See Item A0994

A0401

WW1 GERMAN 'COAL BUCKET' HELMET, 1915

This helmet replaced the 'Piclehauber' design in 1915.
The Piclehauber was then used for ceremonial occasions and also on active service.

A0978

PATTERN '49' BATTLEDRESS, 1955

Post War issue of battledress known as Pattern 49, originally adopted by the British Army in 1949.

Belonging to Mr I.W.Mallory who served in the Royal Artillery.

Mr Mallory kindly donated it to the museum in 2008.

A1273

WW1 COMBAT BELT

Belt used in combat during WW1. Missing shoulder strap. Also known as a "Sam Browne"

A0581

WWII GERMAN JACK BOOTS

Boots of the type worn by German soldiers during WW2

A0363

WW1 GERMAN LEATHER BELT AND BUCKLE 'GOTT MIT UNS'

Leather belt worn by the German infantry during WW1.

The Motto ''Gott Mit Uns'' means ''God's With Us''.

A0370

WW11 CLOTH CAP

Carrying the badge of an Artillery Regiment in dull metal this cap could have belonged to an officer during the 2nd World War.

See Item A0994

A0400

CIVIL DEFENCE JACKET, 1940's

Civil Defence Tunic for the Surrey Corp.

A0407

WW1 GERMAN PICKELHAUBE HELMET

Officers Dress 'Pickelhaube' worn at the beginning of WW1.

A0977

WW1 GERMAN PICKELHAUBE HELMET

The latest in a series of similar helmets dating back to 1842 it was made of boiled leather, this one is shown with zinc spike and fittings (an economy on brass).
The front plate varied according to the Regiment, and the side cockades, of which one was in the Imperial colours and one in the colours of the Land or State of origin.

A0372

WW1 GERMAN COVER FOR PICKELHAUBE

Cover first issued in 1892 made to protect & camouflage German solders WW1
Pickelhaube.
With a simple number on the front in green to identify the regiment, in this case possibly the 16th Jaeger Regiment.
Origin the 3rd Westphalian Infantry.

A1099

WWII BRODIE HELMET OR TOMMY HAT Mk 2, 1940's

The Brodie Helmet, was a steel combat helmet designed and patented in 1915 by John L. Brodie.

Colloquially, it was also called the shrapnel helmet or Tommy helmet, and in the United States known as a doughboy helmet.
It is closely related to the French Adrian helmet. This helmet the Mk2 was first produced in 1940, made of hardened manganese Steel.

A0410

WWII SYNTHETIC BRODIE HELMET

Made from a Phenolic resin based plastic, during WW2.

Sold to Civil Defence, WRVS and Night Watchmen not believed to be officially adopted by the Government and not supplied by them to combatants.

Similar in shape and weight to the standard Brodie helmet supplied to the troops, it would have provided some protection from falling Masonry etc, with limited protection from shrapnel and bullets.

A1285

WWII SFP HELMET

Helmets worn during World War Two by a section known as the Special Fire Patrol. The style was introduced as a general civilian helmet during 1941

Styled on the early British medieval helmet.

A0829

WWII GERMAN 'COAL BUCKET' HELMET, 1935

This Helmet was picked up in the area of Normandy shortly after June 6th 1944 by Ronald Cass (Flight Engineer or Pilot) after land had been recaptured from the Germans.
He kept the item together with a Bayonet (Item A0496) and donated it to the Museum in 2003.
It is a Standard M1935 model originally painted Olive Green, then painted black later during the conflict, and has a single Decal to the left of the German Eagle over a Swastika.

A0427

WWII RAF UNIFORM, 1943

Uniform belonging to Warrant Officer Peter Andrews and used during WW2

Donated by Roy Briggs

A0997

WWII BATTLEDRESS AND WEBBING SET, 1937

This is a reproduction uniform made for the Motion picture industry.
Complete with original gas mask, case and webbing.

A0996

WWII BRITISH PATTERN 37 WEBBING SET, 1937

Pattern made for battle dress uniform in 1937. Including Service box respirator No4 Mk2 in the bag on his chest.

A0984

WWII FANY UNIFORM

The 'First Aid Nursing Yeomanry' - pronounced Fanny, is a British independent all-female unit and registered charity affiliated to, but not part of, the Territorial Army.

It was formed as the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry in 1907 as a first aid link between the field hospitals and the front lines, and was given the yeomanry title as all its members were originally mounted on horseback.

In the Second World War, the F.A.N.Y. was formed into the initial driver companies of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, called the Women's Transport Service, and it also served as a parent unit for many women who undertook espionage work for the Special Operations Executive. Three of these (Odette Sansom, Violette Szabo and Noor Inayat Khan), were awarded the George Cross and Nancy Wake the George Medal for their service.

Since the end of the war, the corps has specialised in communications for the Army and the City of London Police and is open to volunteers between the ages of 18 to 45 who reside or work near London (within the M25). Corps members are trained in radio communications, paramedical skills, map reading, navigation and orienteering, shooting, self-defence and survival techniques, advanced driving and casualty bureau documentation. On formal occasions they still wear a uniform similar to that worn by the Auxiliary Territorial Service in the Second World War (although their working dress is similar to that of the modern British Army). They also have their own rank system.

The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry was officially renamed the Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps in 1999. But the original name has greater recognition.

A1142

WW1 TOMMY

Wearing battledress of 1914, including 1908 web-set showing variations in clip pockets. The Water-bottle is of an earlier 1903 pattern, and is missing its felt cover. The cap is the nearest we can find to the 1914 pattern, and is an officers cap. In 1914 soldiers were issued with similar type headgear but with a metal band in the top, in 1915 these were replaced by the ''Brodie'' or metal helmet. See Item A0410.

A0994, A0400, A0401, A0402, A0403, A0404