Uniforms

  • British Union of Fascists Grouping

    British Union of Fascists Grouping

    A collection of artifacts from the British Union of Fascists (BUF) including a flag, Leyton branch headquarters plaque, paramilitary peaked cap from the Fascist Defence Force and an officer’s tunic paired with a BUF armband and belt.

    Members of the BUF wore the famous black shirt as their uniform, modelled on Sir Oswald Mosley’s fencing tunic. It was stated to be worn because the color best expressed the ‘iron determination’ of Fascism. By eliminating distinctions of dress, it also helped break down of class barriers. The tunics were ideological as well as practical, as in street fights the tunic offered little for an opponent to get a grip on.

    VIEW Done
  • MVSN General's Helmet

    MVSN General’s Helmet

    An Italian M33 helmet for a general of the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (MVSN), commonly referred to as the Blackshirts. The MVSN was the main paramilitary wing of the National Fascist Party, and the Italian equivalent of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) after which the latter was modeled upon.

    VIEW Done
  • SS-Totenkopfverbände Uniform

    SS-Totenkopfverbände Uniform

    Early model black uniform of the 1. SS-Totenkopfstandarte “Oberbayern”, the elite progenitors of Germany’s infamous concentration camp system.

    VIEW Done
  • Type 93 Gas Mask

    Type 93 Gas Mask

    Japan was the only nation in the Second World War to employ biochemical warfare as part of its official military doctrine, resulting in a ghoulish aesthetic unique to the Sino-Japanese front.

     

    VIEW Done