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, is a type of 18th-century military headgear unofficially named in honour of then-Lieutenant Colonel Sir Banastre Tarleton. Described by contemporary sources as among the "handsomest" helmets of its period, 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.