24th Regiment of Foot


Officer's Foreign Service Helmet


The gilt badge on this helmet was the same as that worn on the home service shako from 1869 to 1878, which dates the helmet between those years at least. There is photographic evidence that the badge was also used on the home service helmet that replaced the shako in 1878, and may well have carried on being used on the white helmet up until 1881 when the regiment changed from being the 24th to the South Wales Borderers. The helmet is in very good condition with the white puggaree carefully pleated. The other interesting item is the green backing to the gilt badge. The 1st battalion served in Malta form 1866 to 1872, and in Gibraltar from 1872 to 1874 when they went to South Africa and stayed until the end of the Zulu War of 1879. The second battalion was in India until 1873 and in Britain from 1873 to 1878 when they sailed for South Africa. The helmet could have been worn in India, Malta, Gibraltar or South Africa, but on campaign in the 9th Cape frontier War and the Anglo-Zulu War the helmet was stained light brown and the puggaree and badge were removed. Photos of the battalions in South Africa also show that the chin-chain was not worn.


Uniforms | Regimental Details


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by Stephen Luscombe