Nigerian Police Uniform information from the British Period - Thanks to Les White

NIGERIA POLICE Prior to 1933
The service uniform of the European officers of the Nigeria Police is Khaki drill of Army Service pattern, with Sam Browne belt with single strap; infantry pattern sword and knot, and Webley revolver in tan holster. The helmet is of Wolseley pattern khaki coloured, with khaki pugree, having two top ribs of dark blue, and a police badge. A cap is also worn, which is of Army Service pattern.
The helmet and cap badge is in silver or white metal; the design being that of an elephant and palm enclosed in a laurel wreath surmounted by a crown, with the words ‘NIGERIA POLICE’ on a scroll underneath. The collar badge is the same , omitting the scroll. Buttons are white metal. Trousers, breeches or shorts are worn , with khaki puttees and tan shoes. For mounted duties tan field boots are worn. The shirt is white with the black tie. A shirt of khaki is also worn.
Insignia of rank is worn on the shoulder straps, the grades being indicated as follows (all devices being of silver or white metal):
Inspector General ………………………………......... Crown and two stars.
Deputy Inspector General, Assistant Inspector General…… Crown and one star
Senior Commissioners, Commissioner s(16 years service)….Crown
Commissioners ……………………………….................... Three Stars
Assistant Commissioners ………………………………..... Two Stars
Superintendents ………………. One Star
Officers above the rank of Commissioner wear gorget patches. Inspector General, navy blue with silver oak leaves up the centre; Deputy Inspector General and Assistant Inspector General , navy blue with ¼ inch silver braid; Senior Commissioner, navy blue with 1/8 inch silver braid. European Officers have a mess dress, consisting of a White jacket with roll collar, white vest, dark blue trousers with
2 inch black oak leaf braid, patent leather shoes, soft shirt, wing collar and black bow tie.
African Officers also have a uniform of khaki drill, but their jacket buttons to the neck with five white metal buttons, and has a standing collar two inches high. Their helmet has a dark blue pugree and their cap a blue band. Like the European officers they have a Sam Browne belt and an infantry pattern sword. The raincoat for all officers is a khaki mackintosh. African officers wear badges of rank on the shoulder straps, the devices of white metal being as follows;
Assistant Superintendent ………………………………...... Four Bars
Chief Inspector; Pay and Quartermaster, (grade I) ……….. Three bars
Inspector (grade I) ; Pay and Quartermasters (grade II) ….. Two bars
Inspector (grade II): Pay and Quartermasters, (grade III) … One Bar
Enlisted men wear a uniform of Dark Blue serge.
A Staff Sergeant-Major has a patrol jacket with standing collar, two inch high, having five white metal buttons down the front and two small ones on the shoulder straps, and on the flaps of the breast pockets. The cap has a band of black oak leaf braid and the police badge. Either trousers, with 1 1/2 inch black stripe, or breeches , with the same stripe, and dark blue puttees are worn. Shoes are black. The sword is of infantry pattern and his belt the Sam Browne.
Other ranks have a serge tunic with standing collar; the collar, front and skirt, and shoulder pieces, being piped with red. There are eight white metal buttons down the front. Cuffs have 1 3/4 inch mohair braid with ¼ inch red cord. Divisional letter 1 ½ inches and numerals ½ inch are worn on the shoulder straps. The headdress is dark blue fez with red tassel and badge. Knickers and puttees are dark blue. The cape of dark blue is 34 inches long, with hood, fastened with four police buttons. In the Northern Provinces only, the police have a zouave jacket trimmed with red braid and a dark blue shirt. In the Northern Provinces buttons, metal badges and equipment fittings are bras; in the Colony and Southern Provinces of white metal. Men are armed and equipped with S.M.L.E. rifle ,bayonet, and baton, a brown leather belt with metal clasp, whistle and chain, haversack and water bottle. They wear an armlet of blue and red stripes. The baton is long
and has a brown leather thong.
Rank badges for warrant and non-commissioned officers are worn on the sleeves as follows;
Staff Sergeant Major ………………. Royal Arms
Sergeant Major……………………… Crown
Sergeant…………………………….. Three stripes
Corporal……………………………. Two stripes
Lance Corporal…………………….. One stripe
In the Northern Provinces these badges of rank are gold on blue cloth; in the Southern Provinces of silver. First class Sergeants have a crown above the chevron, and second class ones a five pointed star.
In the Colony and the Southern Provinces, one two, or three white metal stars are worn on the cuff by Constables, according to class.