Tarleton helmet

Tarleton helmet
Portrait of Banastre Tarleton (1782) showing the then-lieutenant colonel wearing his namesake helmet
Type	Combat helmet
Place of origin	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service history
In service	1789–1815
Used by	Kingdom of Great Britain (1789–1801) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1815)
Wars	American War of Independence Napoleonic Wars
Production history
Designer	Disputed

The Tarleton helmet, also called the Tarleton cap, ^[1] is a type of 18th-century military headgear named after then-Lieutenant Colonel Sir Banastre Tarleton. Described by contemporary sources as among the "handsomest" helmets of its period, ^[2] it was generally worn by light infantry and light cavalry units. The helmet featured a leather or metal shell with neoclassical decorative elements, topped with a tall fur crest—commonly made of bearskin or horsehair (or wool for ranks below officers). It was in-service between approximately 1789 and 1815, though personnel wore it unofficially earlier. ^[3]

History

Although the helmet is most commonly linked to Banastre Tarleton, it may have first been introduced to the British Army by Lt. Gen. William Keppel around 1771, who was himself inspired by Continental dragoons wearing a similar helmet. ^[4]

It is widely claimed that Tarleton adopted and widely publicized the helmet with the British Legion, wearing it himself in battle and in portraits by artists such as Sir Joshua Reynolds. The helmet officially entered service with British dragoon regiments in 1789 ^[5] and continued to be worn by light dragoon regiments until about 1812, as well as by horse artillery units through the end of the Napoleonic Wars. ^[6]

Similar helmet styles appeared across Europe, including the Raupenhelm  [ de ] ("caterpillar helmet") in Bavaria, which remained standard until replaced by the Pickelhaube following King Ludwig II of Bavaria's death in 1886. ^[7]

Influence and legacy

Elements of the Tarleton helmet's design, such as the rear tassel, influenced dragoon helmets later in the 19th century. ^[8] The then-Prince of Wales (and eventual King George IV) is thought to be shown wearing a version of the Tarleton helmet in Sir William Beechey's 1798 painting George III and the Prince of Wales Reviewing Troops . ^[9]

References

1. "England - Tarleton cap". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
2. "Tarleton pattern helmet, Wiltshire Yeomanry Cavalry, 1800 (c) | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London". collection.nam.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
3. "Tarleton Helmet | York Museums Trust". www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
4. Knight, John (18 August 2016). "Top 10 Banastre Tarleton Myths". Journal of the American Revolution. Journal of the American Revolution editorial board. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2025. Perhaps the most iconic headgear of the entire war, this leather helmet with a sturdy tapered peak was adorned by a fur crest and dyed feather plume. The British cavalry certainly came to refer to this dragoon headdress as a "Tarleton" Helmet. But it was in use in various forms on the European continent well before the war and was in fact introduced to the British by Lt. Gen. William Keppel in 1771. There is doubt too that Ban even introduced it to the British Legion, with Lord Cathcart (the regiment's original commander and later Quartermaster General of the entire army) being it's more likely sponsor. Regarded as the best looking headgear of the war, its attractiveness was such that it was worn by both British and American forces and long survived the conflict, being in common usage in the British army until 1812 when it was replaced by the more robust French-influenced shako.
5. American War of Independence: A Visual History. Dorling Kindersley Limited. 1 April 2016. ISBN   978-0-241-52693-4 . Retrieved 9 January 2023.
6. "British Artillery : Napoleonic Wars : Horse : Foot : Rockets : Uniforms". www.napolun.com.
7. "Bayern (Bavarian) Pickelhaube 1886 - 1916". www.kaisersbunker.com.
8. Haythornthwaite, P. J. (1980). "1771. AN OFFICER OF THE BOMBAY HORSE ARTILLERY, c 1850". Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research. 58 (235): 175–176. JSTOR   44230334 . Retrieved 9 January 2023.
9. "England - Tarleton cap".