Ontario Community Newspapers

Port Perry Star, 22 Apr 1981, p. 17

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¥ A 5 oo An N5% "Agr $ go Mal Sob Ae 2 y SAM Rl aS a MALE fRICPES tants LEAT AF 5 FJ RARE ALE BIER AEA JE BR a Re SR AF ot Bh FE] LE I 1 {AAI SIV : x FY So. ais | St oy Mo. ~7 or ¥ » i at Ly Pein i AR Ad CES ity srl Sey IR oF FY Pe ila fix TR SR AE RE ER eR Ba TT he yA Ya $n ON RT '. oo $2 Th P80 Vastly ) El iP a Wei ow AEE PM Ph YE TT, 4 SE aha Redd BBS oa vl alin i Chad I ERATURE EAL Fo BL URI YS SNR PTR Poa LAR Wau Sd rl AH Db i Ve PR CPR SEAS 4 te blll v & 2 NTR TUPLE oa TAY ALG, Ud Smal A AA Bl Rl ma tdi Lg insite A Bb A 5s a ee ; "3 BB CEE J; ; ' yr H { Derrick Morley is a collector of Militaria, and he has more than 50 helmets in his collection. [See story]. The one he is holding is French 2nd Dragoons. with red and white plumes, worn from about 1872 to 1914. \ PORT PERRY STAR-- Wednesday, April 22, 1981 -- 17 Military helmets Derrick -Morley began collecting military: memor- abilia as a young boy in his native England. Now, many years later, he has not lost his love and fascination for military history, and his private collection includes numerous medals, swords and sabres, and about 50 helmets, many dating back over 100 years. Mr. Morley, who presently lives in Scarborough, has opened an antique shop on Union Avenue in Port Perry, is proud of his collection. But he says in recent years, there has been a marked increase in interest in militaria, which has done two things: pushed the price of fine items very high and made them harder for collectors and dealers to find. "There is a tremendous interest in military items," he said in a recent interview. "Buyers from ' Great Britain, Japan, the United Three helmets Mr. Morley is especially proud of. At left the Bri\ish 1st Dragoon Guards, about 1871 with horse hair plyme. Centre is the German "Pickel- haube" worn from 1900 to 1914. The officer cadet on G.M. art show at Gallery It's time again for the annual display of General Motors employee's artistic talents. The seventh annual GM Employee Art Exhibit will be held at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery on April 23 and 24 from 10:00 to 9:00 p.m., April 25 from 12:00 to 9:00 p.m. and April 26 from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Refreshments will be , DVsilable, Everyone is welcome to attend. -- The one you're looking for. brass badge on the front makes it rare. At right is the 1880 9th British Lancers. The brass badge on front is enscribed with battle honours. hair and helmet is made from boiled horse leather. The plume is horse "States and European countries' are prepared to pay top dollar for items in good condition and use them as "a hedge against inflation," he says:~ Mr, Morley was too young to serve in World War 2, but he did join the Royal Air Force in 1946, and served several years before coming to Canada in the early 1950's. He is especially proud of his collection of caps and helmets, which include those used in both world wars, and many dating back to before the turn of the century. The oldest helmet is one worn by the Berkshire Yeoman from about 1855. Some of the helmets, like the German cadet officers '"Pickelhaube" were made from boiled leather, which seems an odd substance to make military headgear. Mr. Morley explains that boiled leather was sufficient: to ward off a slash from a sabre, but during World War 1, the troops found the boiled leather didn't do too much to ~ stop the high velocity shrapnel and rifles being developed. And they scrambled for steel helmets as a result. The helmets of the last century appear to have been designed as much for pomp and ceremony, some made from polished brass, -complete with coloured plumes or long manes of real horse-hair. One helmet, worn by the 9th British Lancers (circa. 1880) has a fancy brass badge engraved with the battle honours from the Spanish Peninsula, India, and Khadahar. In today's military, these helmets would be about as useful as a sabre or cavalry charge. Of course, for collectors like Mr. Morley, it is the history, the pomp and pageantry of a by-gone era which add to the fascination. His collection of medals "include a couple issued for the Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1868, and one issued for British troopers who took part in the Battle of Waterloo. By researching records in the United 'Kingdom, Mr. Morley has RSON ANCE AGENCY LIMITED 193 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY 985-7306 ALL LINES OF GENERAL INSURANCE 'date back to 1855 been able to trace the military "career" of the man to whom the Waterloo medal was issued. He was something of a scoundrel, going AWOL on more than one occasion. The value of a medal depends on how old it is, what kind of condition it is in, and how many were issued. For collectors of medals, the most cherished would be a Victoria Cross, of course. Mr. Morley says they are very rare and only seldom come up for public sale or auction. Medals going back to the First World War or before the turn of the century often come up for sale when a great uncle or grandfather passes away. Medals sometimes sit for years in trunks in attics or basements collecting dust, and often they get more care and attention when they are acquired by a collector. Included in Mr. Morley's collection are several swords dating back to before the turn of the century, and one, a Japanese officers sword is somewhat unique. It was handed over in the surrender in 1945, and whoever took the sword printed "Singapore, Sept. 9, 1945" on the leather case. Mr. Morley says that collecting militaria is getting more difficult all the time because prices are going up and up, there is a great deal of interest on the part of the public, and choice items are disappearing into private "collections. Once Mr. Morley has his antique shop renovated, he plans to move his full collection here and display it in one of the rooms. MAGNETIC SIGNS For Trucks, Cars, etc. PORT PERRY STAR 235 Queen Street 985-7383 CY fomily Trust 19 5 Year Annual Interest 14% Semi-Annually STANDARD TRUST COMPANY 15 5 Year Annual Interest the municipal 13 5 Year Annual Interest 14¥: Semi-Annually 14% Semi-Annually VG Since l844 15 5 Year Annual Interest 14% Semi-Annually maxcdonald- cartier trust company + 14> 5 Year Annual Interest 14Y4 Semi-Annually ~ a oY 5 ee YA. ------." D3 do pm ------et-- RES -- od ~ 25 Tair (Fh Tv. ores Lgl Pw' on. " > Fp: -- pty a wn -

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