Original British Pre-WWI Officers Spiked Somerset Light Infantry Regiment Blue Cloth Dress Helmet with Named Storage Tin Original Items

Original Item: One of a Kind. This British Officer’s spiked Blue Cloth helmet was in use during the beginning of the 20th Century, during the time of the British Empire. The century running from 1815 to 1914 is often called “Britain’s Imperial Century”, running from the end of the Napoleonic Wars until the outbreak of “The Great War”. It comes complete with its original marked transport tin, and is complete with all of the correct gilded brass mounts and original chin strap.

This is a truly excellent example of this type of helmet, showing little sign of use, as would be correct for a blue cloth dress helmet during the early 20th century. The front of the helmet has a large officer’s regimental gilded helmet plate, under a KING’S CROWN, indicating it was made after the 1901 passing of Queen Victoria. Under this is an 8 pointed starburst, bearing a laurel wreath on top, with the Motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (Evil to him who evil thinks) on the “Garter” belt circle inside. Under this is a banner reading SOMERSETSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY.

Inside the Garter is a blue velvet background, bearing the cap badge of The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert’s) Regiment. This shows a hunting horn hanging from a crown, with a banner reading JELLALABAD on the top, and a Sphinx over EGYPT just over the horn. These are arms the regiment is allowed to bear due to participation in those campaigns.

The interior of the helmet still shows the original makers label, which reads:

C. DYKE & Co
5, PRINCES STREET
HANOVER SQUARE
LONDON, W.

Inside is also a size stamp for 6 7/8. Condition of the helmet is really fantastic, with great gilding on all the fittings, and just a great look. The interior shows only light wear, with just a bit of wear.

The helmet tin is named to E. B. Rawlins Esq’re on a brass plaque on the front, over 1st Somerset Light Inf’y. The tin also has a small portion of a maker badge near the crown, but we cannot make out what it says. It is very possible that the tin pre-dates the helmet, as many officers had to purchase new helmets after the passing of the Queen. The exterior shows wear to the black paint, showing a lot of oxidation, however the interior still retains the original dark orange lacquer coating.

This is truly an excellent example of this type of helmet, and the helmet tin is also in good shape. We rarely have offerings this attractive, with great research potential. Ready to add to your collection and display!

The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert’s) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1685 to 1959. First raised as the Earl of Huntingdon’s Regiment of Foot, the regiment had a long and illustrious history, being renamed the 13th Regiment of Foot for a while, before becoming the The 13th (1st Somersetshire) Prince Albert’s Light Infantry in 1843. In 1881 as part of the Childer’s reforms, it was renamed again to the The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert’s), and under this name it took part in WWI and WWII.

In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry to form the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry which was again amalgamated, in 1968, with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and the Durham Light Infantry to form The Light Infantry.