Long shot request for date - Which Walsh?

[Tickettyboo]

Sorry to be Mrs Needy here, I've asked for (and received, thank you!) help a good few times recently.

The attached photo is puzzling me. I don't have the original, or a view of the back, what you see is all I have.
Edward Walsh, born 1854 was in the Liverpool Police from c 1873
1881 he was a Police Constable
1891 he was a Police Sergeant - he was about 37 in 1891
1901 he was a Police Inspector, he retired at that rank in 1901

His son:
James Walsh, born 1887 was also in the Liverpool Police from c 1907
1911 he was a Police Constable
1921 he was a Police Sergeant, he retired at that rank in 1933

We were led to believe that this photo was of James, which would mean it was taken between 1911-1921. We can definitely see a family resemblance to James' brother.
However, the collar number is not the same as on his pension record or the engraved watch he was given on retirement, no idea if he'd get a different number if he moved to a different station within Liverpool.

Now we are wondering if it actually may have been Edward, rather than his son, James.
Not much at all for anyone to go on, but is there any way to tell if this was taken 1881-1891 or 1911-1921?

Boo

[conner395]

The crown on the helmet plate looks to be a Kings Crown, so that would put it after 1902.

[PatBot]

There is a site that shows all Liverpool city police helmet plates, cap badges etc, with the dates they were used to/from. Hope it may be of help to you.

https://www.liverpoolcitypolice.co.uk/photo-galleries/insignia-gallery/

I think it could be the helmet plate from 1929-1934

[Tickettyboo]

The crown on the helmet plate looks to be a Kings Crown, so that would put it after 1902.

Thank you ! That's really helpful, so definitely not Edward then.
His entry in the Gore's Directory 1900 confirms he was a police inspector - the address is definitely correct. His Police pension record shows he retired in 1901.

Boo

[Tickettyboo]

There is a site that shows all Liverpool city police helmet plates, cap badges etc, with the dates they were used to/from. Hope it may be of help to you.

https://www.liverpoolcitypolice.co.uk/photo-galleries/insignia-gallery/

I think it could be the helmet plate from 1929-1934

Thank you :-) I spent ages on that site looking at old photos to see what the uniforms looked like at different times. Never thought about the helmet badges ! Though its obviously a Liverbird in the centre.

The info from you and conner395, the fact that were told by someone who knew him well that its James, plus the family resemblance between him and his brother who was 4 years younger, all fits.

As there are no service records other than the entry in the pension ledger that I have, the collar number will just have to remain a mysterious discrepancy, but on balance I am now reasonably sure this is James.

Thanks for the help

Boo