Recollections of policemen in Britain during World War Two

Guest contribution from Peter Johnson

When I visited my granddad's bombed house in World War Two, the policeman on duty had on a tin helmet painted black - just like the one in the top image - and a army issue gas mask in a small pack slung across his back.

Many of the policemen during the war did not retire at the normal of about 45 years but continued in service well into their sixties. During this period the helmet badge and jacket buttons were coated black to stop reflection. They have since reverted to silver.

There were special constables, these being fit men of working age in reserved occupations. They carried a cape in bad weather. Some of these were made of thick cloth and some were a rubberized waterproof material.

Guest contribution from Jim Stracey

My recollections of policemen's uniform in wartime Britain is rather different from Peter Johnson's. My father was a police constable at the Met Police station in Fore St, Edmonton throughout the war, and his helmet was as shown in the picture which was taken in 1941 in the back yard of the Fore Street station. It was dark blue with 'Police' in white - never black. Neither were the silver buttons on the tunic painted black to stop reflection as the photo of my father shows. As you can see his buttons are bright and shiny.