British Police Uniform Part 4 - Epaulettes, Gloves

 Police Epaulettes & Gloves

This section covers epaulettes and other miscellaneous uniform items. I've already touched on epaulettes in my section on 'other metal badges' but can provide some more detail here. 

Epaulettes

Shirts used by Avon & Somerset Police use the button and loop system for attaching epaulettes as shown below. The slider type of epaulette with embroidered numbers is now also standard issue.

Standard issue shirt epaulettes

Police shirt with epaulette loops

Typical shirt epaulette from unknown Police Force

Unissued Special Constabulary shirt epaulettes and tunic sliders

During the 1980's and 1990's Avon & Somerset Special Constables used epaulettes like those shown above. During this time 4 digit numbers beginning with 6 were issued to male officers and those beginning with 5 were issued to female officers, like the example below. 

Typical slider epaulettes used on tunics in Avon & Somerset 1980's-1990's

The two stripes/bars on these epaulettes denote the rank of Sub-Divisional Officer

Extract from Avon & Somerset Special Constable induction guide 1987

A new role of Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) was introduced in about 2002. The uniform differs from that of a Police officer in a number of ways (see below).

PCSO 'slider' epaulettes like those used by Avon & Somerset

PCSO Traffic epaulettes

Bristol City Council PCSO slider epaulettes

These Bristol City Council epaulettes are rare because it's unusal for a Council to issue it's own branded versions. Bristol City Council funds 32 PCSO's directly, which is why they have their own epaulettes. PCSO's are usually only funded by the Police. Sheffield city also pays for 11 posts iteself.

City of Bristol PCSOs:

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Shirt epaulettes from unknown Police Force with unusually long numbers!

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) in Bristol 2011

A selection of new and old Special Constabulary epaulettes from different Police Forces

Different types of epaulettes

Sergeant epaulettes

Inspector epaulettes

Epaulette comparison

The epaulette slider on the left uses the type of individual numbers found on NATO style jumpers and raincoat collars issued during the 1980's and 1990's. The version on the right is the modern version currently used on stab-proof vests.

Older style cloth numbers

Cloth numbers like these were used on NATO pullovers and sewn onto 1980's issue raincoats as seen below

WPC in Broadmead shoppting centre, Bristol early 1980's

Collar number is sewn onto the jacket lapel

There may not be any surviving jackets like this from the 1980's issued by Avon & Somerset Constabulary with their original POLICE breast badge and collar numbers. The Force's strict disposal procedures mean that jackets were handed back when replaced with the new Goretex versions. The Police badges would have then been removed before being sold at auction or simply thrown away.  

 

Gloves

Here is a pair of black leather gloves of the style issued to Constables and Sergeants from the 1970's to the 1990's period. Senior officers (Inspector and above) were issued with the same style but in brown leather. The examples shown below are a mismatched pair since one is made in England and the other made in Pakistan.

Current issue PSU (Police Support Unit) style gloves

 

Other gloves used include rubber disposable gloves which are routinely carried in case of having to deal with victims of assault or accidents which could involve contact with body fluids.