Original British Victorian Named Officer Spiked Liverpool Regiment Blue Cloth Helmet with Named Storage Tin – King’s Regiment Original Items

Original Item: One of a Kind. This British Officer’s spiked Blue Cloth helmet was in use during the late VICTORIAN era, the time of the British Empire. 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, and also has some great history as well, as told by the markings on it. The front of the helmet has a large officer’s regimental gilded helmet plate, under a QUEEN’S CROWN, with the Motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (Evil to him who evil thinks) in a circle. Under this is a banner reading THE LIVERPOOL REGIMENT, and in the center is the regiments cap badge. The badge is a fine gilt crowned star mounted with Garter and laurel sprays with silver scroll THE LIVERPOOL REGIMENT; crimson velvet center bearing a silver scroll reading NEC ASPERA TERRENT (“Frightened by no Difficulties”) over the White Horse of Hanover.
 
The King’s Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King’s) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which were associated with a county, the King’s represented the city of Liverpool, one of only four regiments affiliated to a city in the British Army. After 273 years of continuous existence, the regiment was amalgamated with the Manchester Regiment in 1958 to form the King’s Regiment (Liverpool and Manchester), which was later amalgamated with the King’s Own Royal Border Regiment and the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment to form the present Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (King’s, Lancashire and Border).
 
The King’s notably saw active service in the Second Boer War, the two world wars, and the Korean War. In the First World War, the regiment contributed dozens of battalions to the Western Front, Salonika, and the North West Frontier. More than 13,000 men were killed. In the Second World War, the 5th and 8th (Irish) battalions landed during Operation Overlord, the 1st and 13th fought as Chindits in the Burma campaign, and the 2nd Battalion served in Italy and Greece. The King’s later fought in the Korean War, earning the regiment’s last battle honour.
 
Nine Victoria Crosses were awarded to men of the regiment, the first in 1900 and the last in 1918. An additional two were awarded to Royal Army Medical Corps officer Noel Godfrey Chavasse, who was attached to the 10th (Scottish) Battalion during the Great War.
 
In peacetime, the regiment’s battalions were based in the United Kingdom and colonies in the British Empire. Duties varied: riots were suppressed in Belfast, England, and the Middle East; bases were garrisoned in places such as the North-West Frontier Province and West Germany; and reviews and parades conducted throughout the regiment’s history.
 
The helmet tin is named to E.F. Bridford Esquire on a brass plaque on the front. Underneath his name is 6th L.R.V. Manchester, for the 6th Light Rifle Volunteers from Manchester, which after the 1881 Childers Reforms, became a part of the Liverpool Regiment.
 
The Childers Reforms of 1881 reorganized the infantry regiments of the British Army. The reforms were done by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers during 1881, and were a continuation of the earlier Cardwell Reforms.
 
The reorganization was effected by General Order 41/1881, issued on 1 May 1881, amended by G.O. 70/1881 dated 1 July, which created a network of multi-battalion regiments. In England, Wales and Scotland, each regiment was to have two regular or “line” battalions and two militia battalions. In Ireland, there were to be two line and three militia battalions. This was done by renaming the numbered regiments of foot and county militia regiments. In addition, the various corps of county rifle volunteers were to be designated as volunteer battalions. Each of these regiments was associated by headquarters location and territorial name to its local “Regimental District”. The reforms became effective on 1 July.
 
This is truly an excellent example of this type of helmet, and the helmet tin is also in great shape. We rarely have offerings this attractive, with great research potential. Ready to add to your collection and display!