Catalogue Number
NMLH.2026.10.1
Object Name
armband
People
Michael Waterhouse
Events
General Strike
Description
Fabric armband worn by a special constable during the General Strike of 1926. The armband has blue and white vertical stripes and a brass coloured metal buckle. The band can be tightened and doubled over. Tacked on to the armband is a handwritten note 'SPECIAL CONSTABLE'S ARMLET & WHISTLE USED IN GENERAL STRIKE 1926 MTW'. This was added later, by family members. There is some damage to the fabric.
The armband was used by the donor's grandfather, Michael Waterhouse, during the General Strike. Waterhouse worked as an architect in his own firm during the 1920s, after an education at Eton and Oxford.
The General Strike begain on 3 May 1926, when the Trades Union Congress (TUC) called for a national strike. Almost two million workers withdrew their labour in support of miners who has been locked out of work after refusing to accept lower pay and longer hours. For nine days, Britain came to a standstill. The TUC ended the strike on 12 May without an agreement, and the miners continued striking for seven momths before poverty and starvation forced their return to work.
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