Helmet, foreign service

The Wolseley Universal Foreign Service Khaki Helmet was commonly called the topi. The Wolseley sun helmet was used throughout the late 19th century, and remained in service through the Second World War. The body is cork covered with khaki drill cloth, with six seams. These helmets were typically bound around the headband with a khaki pugree. This helmet was worn by men of the Norfolk Regiment in India, Gallipoli, and the Middle East. The yellow ribbon or flash with the black vertical stripe was the regimental flash – harking back to the yellow facings of the old scarlet uniform and black lace, commemorating the burial of Sir John Moore during the Peninsular War.