British Colonial Era Issue Sun Helmet, 1901
This item is listed for historical interest only. It was listed on our site previously but has been sold and is no longer available for purchase.
Sold for: $350.00

Original era manufacture. "You may talk of gin and beer, when you're quartered way out here, and sent to penny-fights and Aldershot it. But when it comes to slaughter, you'll take your pay in water, and lick the boots of him that's got it. Now in India's sunny clime, where I used to spend me time in the service of her Majesty the Queen, of all the black-faced crew, the finest man I knew was our regimental Bhisti, Gungha Din.". Going from memory here with my apologies to Rudyard Kipling, however his poem, Gungha Din, comes to my mind everytime I see one of these old helmets. Using Peter Suciu & Stuart Bates book, "Military Sun Helmets of the World" I believe our example to be of the 1877 pattern. Tan cotton covered cork body and puggaree of three pleats now white from a combination of time and blanco. White painted leather chinstrap across its front with an oval adjusting buckle. The interior show a green oilcloth covered front & rear visor with a simple leather sweatband. Private Salmon wrote his name in bold letters next to the British War Departments Broad Arrow stamp and date of 1901. There are marks in the front of the helmet where a metal badge or two were installed at one time, however I feel it looks best without one. The body is not crushed or broken, just shows normal wear and use for its 112 year age.