Badges representing Somerset Constabulary feature what I've described in my blog as a 'Wyvern'. However, stricly speaking this is a dragon by definition of having four legs, reptile head and body as well as breathing fire. For that reason, I'll refer to it as a dragon for purposes of this post.
The College of Arms formally awarded a coat of arms featuring a dragon holding a mace to Somerset Council in 1911. Hence the addition of a mace to the Somerset Constabulary helmet plates at that time. Previously, Somerset Council had themselves adopted a dragon inside a wreath (facing to the left) from 1889. This would explain why the earliest helmet plate design used a wreath.
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| Somerset Constabulary flag early 20th century |
There's more about the origin of this 'dragon' elsewhere on the internet so I'm not going to explore this any deeper, other than it's use with Avon & Somerset Constabulary and it's predecessors.
When the Somerset emblem was re-introduced to Somerset Constabulary helmet plates in the mid-1980's, they again adopted a left facing dragon holding scales (of justice) instead of a mace.
More recently, on 4th July 2013, Somerset County Council was awarded it's own flag for the first time. This is a yellow flag featuring a red dragon, without the mace.
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| The new Somerset County flag |
Of course a dragon is used extensively on armed forces insignia such as the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. These could be mistaken for Police related badges, if silver.
Below is a photograph which identifies four similar silver 'dragon' badges.
1. A small Somerset & Bath Constabulary collar badge used by senior ranks and women officers most likely during the early 1970's. It has a wire pin fixing on the rear, which may or may not be the original fixing.
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| Somerset & Bath Constabulary collar/lapel badges |
2. A nickel plated centre which was introduced from 1911 for the wreath design helmet plate. It has a brass nut and bolt fixing to the rear. A hole was drilled into the existing helmet plate and this was inserted into the middle.
3. A lighter weight chrome helmet plate centre c. 1960's used on the later chrome plated brunswick star helmet plates. This has a split pin fixing to the rear. This was superceded in 1967 by the 'all in one' moulded version introduced for Somerset & Bath Constabulary. An earlier version of this used a 'cotter pin' style rear fixing.
4. Although this example is facing the other direction, there is also a version facing to the left hand side. This is actually an officers Royal Welsh Fusiliers collar badge centre. This is an early 20th century example since it has long steel wire fixings to the rear. It would form the centre of an ornately embroidered (or brass) collar badge. It does not hold a mace as do the Somerset Constabulary examples. Otherwise, the stance is very similar to the Police versions.
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| Royal Welsh Fusiliers collar badge |
Finally, some of you may remember the Midland Bank 'griffin' logo which bears a passing resemblance to the Somerset Constabulary dragon. No doubt this style of logo has been used extensively throughout the years.
There's more on this topic under my Somerset Constabulary page.
