Home Guard

Those plastic ones really aren't too bad as the moulding is spot on. As said, just make a makeshift liner, even add a genuine chin strap (cost: £5-£7) and a bit of a re-paint to make them very usable and realistic. They can be had for very little (£1-£3) at car boot sales or charity shops if your persistent/lucky. Even the White ones with the St Georges cross on the top are from the same mouldings, but the repaint in mandatory!

... Even the White ones with the St Georges cross on the top are from the same mouldings, but the repaint in mandatory!

Unless I portray Pvt Godfrey, I've got the knees for it !

Lots of good thoughts, and appreciated offers ....................

Having checked again tonight, SoF have FS caps listed @£20 which seems cheap compared to most ? I'd been looking at the plastic 'tin' lids as a possible budget option but by the time that one has been made to look 'authentic' it could work out more then the new forage cap at that price ?
I do like the idea of a tam, but as CW says, the other options would realistically get more use in the future (hopefully). Are the plastic 'tommy' hats the same as would be found in a fancy dress shop etc then ? If they are, and I could pick one up cheaply from the local shop, then a FS cap AND helmet could be viable

Are the plastic 'tommy' hats the same as would be found in a fancy dress shop etc then ? If they are, and I could pick one up cheaply from the local shop, then a FS cap AND helmet could be viable

They were produced by a company for the World Cup a couple of years back, and (as far as I know) havn't been in production since. The last world cup just gone, I saw loads of plastic WW2 German helmets (why?) made from white plastic with the red St Georges Cross on them for sale. Probably made by the same company. Never saw a single person wear one!

Nice pic of a HG training exercise, as per caption -

-- attachment is not available --
Caption on Getty Images :

circa 1941: Members of the Home Guard at a training camp learn how a Tommy gun is constructed.

I just received my Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders cap badge...

Well it has to be the largest cap badge I've ever had! For instance it's twice the size of a RE one.

I must admit I'd not noticed that it was so large in the photos, but now I come to look at them again I see it's absolutely monster size is quite clear!

Check out the photos:
http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/Dother ... wshire.htm

Personally I was planning on a 100% civvy look. Pitchfork jokes asside, I can manage a perfectly reasonable Gillie/Gamekeeper outfit, and given we are in the "North" I was planning on ditching all traces of militaryness and donning naught but tweeds, a deerstalker and a hip flask of Talisker.

ZB is right on the button - these helmes are fine - just need a liner.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Journeys-End-Worl ... 2303386d3b

ZB is right on the button - these helmes are fine - just need a liner.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Journeys-End-Worl ... 2303386d3b

Plastic tin lid FTW then by the seem of it

I just received my Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders cap badge...

Well it has to be the largest cap badge I've ever had! For instance it's twice the size of a RE one.

I must admit I'd not noticed that it was so large in the photos, but now I come to look at them again I see it's absolutely monster size is quite clear!

Check out the photos:
http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/Dother ... wshire.htm

Cracking link ! Now we know exactly what to aspire to

That's not a cap badge, btw - it's an early ballistic shield !!

That Helmet does a great job of keeping off raindrops and bbs

That Helmet does a great job of keeping off raindrops and bbs

Depending on the ammo limit, it might be keeping off bb (in the singular) !

Re a previous comment, how rigid/sturdy are those helmets - would it be worth bonding 2 together ?

No they are fine on their own.

Cracking link ! Now we know exactly what to aspire to

Note those photos were taken later on in the war so are not completely representative of what we need... Though mainly its just the insignia that is wrong.

Cracking link ! Now we know exactly what to aspire to

Note those photos were taken later on in the war so are not completely representative of what we need... Though mainly its just the insignia that is wrong.

Yes, I had assumed that they were for the most part a little later than our time window, but a cracking 'blog' all the same, and some useful links to other relative info as well

ZB is right on the button - these helmes are fine - just need a liner.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Journeys-End-Worl ... 2303386d3b

Plastic tin lid FTW then by the seem of it

At the bottom of the ad it also says: "Buy 2 hats get 1 free!!! so you get 3 hats for £19.90!!"

.......... At the bottom of the ad it also says: "Buy 2 hats get 1 free!!! so you get 3 hats for £19.90!!"

This was what I was working through - I could 'use' 2, and keep one as a loaner, or sell on at a nominal amount. But then £20 + carriage could be the price of a 'real' one
I've been looking in the shops locally for a 'footie' one, as prev. mentioned but no dice sadly

As they seem to have regular supply of these plastic hats, I'll watch fleabay a bit longer, see what comes up - even if it doesn't get used there's always sometime iconic about a tommy helmet strapped to the side pack though ..........

I'll probably pick up a forage cap from SoF@£20 + postage - seems a good deal, unless anybody knows of a reason why they are cheap ?

Again fleabay for a 'side pack' if they don't go too expensively, or a 'modern' highlander-type are less then a tenner from the likes of Yeomans (and just 'cos I'm picky I can paint the black buckles a 'brass' colour with model paint). Alternately, Yeomans often have in something priced up as a 'Czech Shoulder bag' which actually looks more like a Finnish resi Bag - either way they are a biscuit-coloured lightweight canvas, with thin web shoulder strap and look very like the civi-issue respirator case/shoulder bag, have useful dividers/pockets inside to stop the contents knocking about, would happily hold a canteen, scoffs, 5 bb's ( ) and other odds/sods, all for £5.99 *

I'm struggling to find a great coat anywhere even near my size - last closest-sized one went for £83 + carriage, which is leading me to think that a new one might be the only way to get one ?? Yith mentioned Jerry @ WPG as a good source - is there a great coat supplier/manufacturer in the UK (can't find one, tbh), to save on the carriage, import taxes etc ?

Edit : * Looks like this - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 2199wt_698

Joker... do you want the plastic one I have? I'm not using it... make me an offer...

And as previously stated, I'll can bring along two real ones as loners.

And as previously stated, I'll can bring along two real ones as loners.

As always, players generosity second to none !