The following is extracted from one of my previous articles:
Metal numbers were worn on shirts or tunics on the edge of the shoulder. These numbers were 904 below a member’s registered number. In my case, when sworn in on 21 March 1960, my shoulder number was 5566 and my registered number was 6470. (My recollection is that, if anyone ever complained about a police officer wearing a certain number, it was necessary to add 904 and then go to the seniority list to work out who the officer was.)
In 1961 (in the Whitrod era) the whole state moved to drab olive uniform; that is khaki shirts, drab olive trousers and tunics, brown belts, ties, boots and caps. I think that the scouts’ belt buckle remained on issue. There were still no official short-sleeved shirts although some of the country police used to appear in them. The identification numbers remained on the outside shoulder of shirts but were moved to the lapels of tunics when they were worn. Again the only official difference between summer and winter uniforms was the tunic off or on. Grades and ranks were shown by stripes on the shirts and tunics.
Late 1972: (again in the Whitrod era) The whole state moved from drab olive to navy blue trousers and tunics with light blue shirts, dark blue ties, white topped caps and black shoes. I think that prior to all having white topped caps, traffic officers wore them to distinguish themselves from general duties personnel.
It was during this era that the numbers disappeared from shirts and tunics for constables, constables first class, and senior constables, with these being incorporated into the cap badge. Sergeants had a cap badge with ‘Sergeant’ thereon—so it can be seen that an officer in this era, without his or her cap on, bore no means of identification.
The 904 difference between numbers worn on the person and registered numbers
With some assistance from Lisa Jones, Curator of the QPS Museum, and from serving Officer Detective Sergeant Grant Linwood’s unpublished book ‘The complete history of Queensland Police Badges and Insignia’ I am going to endeavor to throw some light on this difference.
- · Commissioner Carrol first introduced number badges for non-commissioned police in 1906 as part of a uniform change that year. It appears that it was decided that the helmet badge should be changed with the number being removed from the badge and worn on the uniform. (This was the case in 1960 when members performing beat or traffic points duty in Brisbane wore
- a white helmet with a large un-numbered badge)
- · Between 1864 and February 1906 registered numbers were used multiple times (some up to nine times) and it is assumed the registered number and the number worn on the uniform were the same.
- · The assumption also is that because officers came and went with regularity they re-used numbers to save money or they ran out of new ones.
- · After March 1906 up until December 1978 there was no reissue of previously used numbers worn on the uniform (it appears apparent that during that period registered numbers progressed upwards with the same applying to numbers worn on the uniform being produced and issued with the 904 difference still being maintained).
- · The collar (later shoulder) number badges first introduced in 1906 were worn on various uniforms until 1975 and reappeared on cap badges for Constables, Constables 1st Class and Senior Constables from late 1978 to early in 1979.
- · Lisa’s research reveals that as of 10 August 1929 the registered number became 904 different from the numerals. This happened completely by chance when on 22 July 1929 Senior Sergeant William Ingram registered number 1171 received numeral 2192 and then on 20 August 1929 Constable James John Peterson registered number 3097 received numeral 2193; also if not for the blip with the Senior Sergeant, it would have been a difference of 905.
- · In December 1978 (in the Lewis era) all serving personnel were renumbered from 0001 and this was when uniformed Constables, Constables 1st Class and Senior Constables received a cap badge bearing their registered number and uniformed Sergeants received a cap badge bearing the word ‘Sergeant’.
While not resolute, the above words throw some light on the 904 difference between registered numbers and numbers worn on the uniforms of former Queensland Police Officers.
