Post 1902 Officers Home Service Helmet of Lieutenant Colonel Sidney George Smith 7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment, near mint condition example of a blue cloth officers home service pattern helmet complete with its original officers kings crown helmet plate for the Hampshire Regiment but having the Dog Gauge emblem to the centre of the plate instead of the Hampshire tiger. Gilt meta side rosettes with velvet linked chin scales. Cruciform spike base with rosette fittings and removable spike. Interior of the helmet has cream leather sweatband and ‘J & B Pearse & Co’ tailors leather label to the crown. Helmet is housed in its original japanned storage tin with brass name plate engraved ‘Captain S G Smith 7th Bn Hampshire Regt’. The helmet is a superb example showing next to no wear.Sidney George Smith was a estate agent in Bournemouth trading under the corporate name of ‘Lane & Smith’ with offices in old Christchurch road. In 1889 he enrolled in the 4th Volunteer battalion the Hampshire regiment, in the newly formed Cyclists section. He was subsequently responsible for compiling a cyclists drill manual which ran to three editions and was adopted by nearly every battalion in the volunteer force. As a sergeant he led the winning shooting teams at Bisley from 1892-1897, also the victorious teams in the Wolsley competitions in 189-1900. He was commissioned in 1900 when due to the South African war the cyclists section was increased. He was promoted to Captain in 1904 and in 1908 to Lieutenant Colonel commanding the headquarters company of the newly formed 7th battalion, succeeding Lieutenant Colonel George on his retirement.In August 1914 he was mobilised with the 7th battalion Hampshire regiment. He arrived with the Battalion in Bombay, India, from 9 November 1914. Smith led a Detachment to Bareilly in January 1916, before being appointed Commandant at Kasauli in April of the same year. took the command of the 2/7th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (T.F.) in Mesopotamia in July 1917. Lieutenant Colonel Smith died of heart failure aged 51, at Azizieh, on 8 October 1917. He is buried in the Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq. Late Rod Flood collection