PhilB Posted 27 February , 2014 Share Posted 27 February , 2014 The boss of Acme Whistles (inc Hudsons), Simon Topman, said on radio today that in WW1, during shortages of materials, whistles were made of tinplate intended for biscuit tins(ie tin plated steel). I`ve tended to be a bit sniffy about cheap looking rusty whistles from the period but I shall look at them with more respect in future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brain-decay Posted 30 November , 2014 Share Posted 30 November , 2014 Hello everyone. I am writing on here in the hope someone may be able to answer a question regarding the The Metropolitan Whistle...? My father passed away recently and I have been collecting his and my grandfathers possessions when I came across an old Double Ended whistle which looks like those given to the police. Now I know these whistle are quite common and where manufactured by Hudson who had the patent for these whistles, however, the one I have is stamped The Metropolitan, J. Morris & Sons Ltd, Manchester. I have tried to research this company but can only find references to them making flame throwers or items for the fire brigade etc. There seems to be no mention of ever manufacturing a whistle of any kind. All pictures on the internet of whistles were made by The Hudson Co, now known as ACME, I can't find a single reference anywhere to how this whistle came about to have this stamping. I have attached pictures to show the unusual stamping. Please help if you can.... Kind Regards. Adam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wardog Posted 2 December , 2014 Share Posted 2 December , 2014 Torpedo Boat Whistle. Not heard of the maker though. Regards, Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brain-decay Posted 2 December , 2014 Share Posted 2 December , 2014 Torpedo Boat Whistle. Not heard of the maker though. Regards, Paul. Just an email back from Acme from Simon himself. After looking at the pictures he confirms this was made by them. It was stamped by J.Morris & Sons and supplied to the police and fire brigade when they were as one and not separate like today, hence why there is a fire whistle one end and a police whistle the other. J.morris was founded around 1845 and were experts with fire fighting equipment albeit they were contracted to also make and put many flame throwers on world war tanks. This whistle would have been made for a Superintendent of the combined police/fire department. Acme estimateit to be around 1900's but can't be more precise. According to Simon, its a rare example!! Just got to figure out why my grandfather had it in his possession now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brain-decay Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 Torpedo Boat Whistle. Not heard of the maker though. Regards, Paul. Hi Paul, after another email from Simon this morning, it would appear that although originally designed for the fire and police, your comment on what it was also used for was exactly right.... Please see the email I received this morning from Simon at ACME below.... Thanks Adam, I may be able to shed some light on how the whistle ended up in military uniform possessions. We have often seen whistles end up in places for which they were never intentioned. For example , police whistles found in boxes at old stations ALWAYS have amongst them Scout and Guide whistles . They look similar but on close inspection are different in size and have different inscriptions. There is no doubt that sometimes this company has sent out one or two whistles , perhaps in a batch of thousands , that were the right whistle for the customer concerned but bore marks indicating they were made for someone else. When issued probably no one noticed or made a fuss about it-----and it was only one or two. The whistle you have was not only used by the Fire and Police but also by the Special Boat Services in the 1920s and 1930s. It was the official whistle of that regiment. As far as we know these organisations were the only ones to use it. Quite possibly we were making whistles for Morris of Manchester who were good customers at the same time as making a batch for the Ministry of Defence. As this whistle was a small seller by our standards and handmade , it is almost certain that we would have wanted to make only one batch . We would have combined the two orders and made them both at the same time for obvious economies of scale. I’ll bet a couple of whistle stamped Morris ended up in a box due to the MOD!! You probably know that The Special Boat Services regiment was renamed the SAS --------Special Air Services . Is that where your Grandfather served?? Not certain it was a regiment in those days , it is now of course. Speculation I know but I would put money on it. All the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 But wasn`t the SBS formed first in WW2 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 SBS formed 1940. The 20's and 30's had no special forces formed, the British army was being run down. Not sure why a special forces unit would require the use of a whistle and one at that unquie to them. You try use normal equipment to blend in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 Maybe Simon meant the Motor Boat services to which this type of whistle has usually been attributed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brain-decay Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 Definitely a strange one this.... My grandfather was RAF as far a know.... Still very strange!! The whistle was originally for the police and fire when they were one but doesn't fit the dates?? Also acme mentioned it was made from Nickle Silver again unusual but certainly made by them and sent to J.morris who stamped their name on. Whether it then entered the MOD and served I have no idea.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 I think it unlikely that Morris stamped their name on. More likely to have been stamped on by Hudsons before assembly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wardog Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 I'm sure Simon knows a lot about whistles but the MOD only came about after the second world war. I must admit though that I can find no info. on line re Naval use- I am only going on what these are usually listed as when for sale. Regards, Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 I thought the Special Boat Service was formed from the Royal Marine Commandos, whereas the Special Air Service came from the Army's Long Range Desert Group. Both being WW2.Happy to be corrected on this though, even though it's off topic for this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brain-decay Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 What have I started!! I'm becoming more confused by the minute!!! Maybe I should put it back it the draw........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Wade Posted 3 December , 2014 Share Posted 3 December , 2014 What have I started!! I'm becoming more confused by the minute!!! Maybe I should put it back it the draw........ I've found it a fascinating thread. I'm keeping an eye out for 'cheap looking rusty whistles' as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 4 December , 2014 Share Posted 4 December , 2014 In his book Collecting Police Whistles & Similar Types, Simon shows six or seven composite whistles of varying shape. Only one is described as "supplied to the Royal Navy Torpedo Boat Service with a 100cm length of chain, known as a a gunner`s chain". It is slightly different to the one in the OP, but similar. Most seem to have had the Fire & Police Services in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wardog Posted 4 December , 2014 Share Posted 4 December , 2014 The one I have has a different ring fitting for a chain from the OP- usual Hudson markings one end and patent on the other. Does that sound like the one pictured Phil? Regards, Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 5 December , 2014 Share Posted 5 December , 2014 This is the one he describes as for Motor Boats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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