Steindaddie Posted August 3, 2013 Share #1 Posted August 3, 2013 Can someone tell me what branch of service these came from? Black wool, red velvet, they are attached by threaded studs as opposed to snaps. Much obliged, Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steindaddie Posted August 3, 2013 Author Share #2 Posted August 3, 2013 Cotton backing. Manufactured by S. Appel & co. The brass stud has an anchor with two stars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted August 3, 2013 Share #3 Posted August 3, 2013 Well, not US Navy, possible Comercial Steam Shhip Company Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColdWarRules Posted August 3, 2013 Share #4 Posted August 3, 2013 Merchant Marine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted August 3, 2013 Share #5 Posted August 3, 2013 Have to agree with sigsaye, looks like a commercial ship or cruise company.The studs look to have just an anchor as opposed to the eagle.Still nice and older looking.They look like the older flat type boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navyman Posted August 3, 2013 Share #6 Posted August 3, 2013 The buttons are army transportation service. I say 1930's, maybe earlier Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted August 3, 2013 Share #7 Posted August 3, 2013 Could be but the buttons look a little different.Plus from what I could see the shoulder boards just had the stipes no other insignia on them. http://www.scribd.com/doc/31823744/Grade-Insignia-of-the-United-States-Auxiliary-Services Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navyman Posted August 3, 2013 Share #8 Posted August 3, 2013 It's hard to see the button in those pictures, I can make out the anchor but its hard to see the stars. I have a book on visors and i have visor's with that button and they are army transportation. The plates are from 1934-1938, 1938-42. The shoulder boards in question may date before the plates? I wonder if the buttons were regular navy at one time? I know the navy use different colors on the cuffs for a short time for different branches, medical, pay corps,ect.. You would think they would have shoulder boards like that also? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin B. Posted August 3, 2013 Share #9 Posted August 3, 2013 It's hard to see the button in those pictures, I can make out the anchor but its hard to see the stars. I have a book on visors and i have visor's with that button and they are army transportation. The plates are from 1934-1938, 1938-42. The shoulder boards in question may date before the plates? The official ATS buttons had "A.T.S." above the anchor, but I have also seen those buttons with the two little stars on ATS stuff. I have also seen them on Merchant Marine Academy shoulder boards. They may have been used somewhat "generically." I wonder if the buttons were regular navy at one time? I know the navy use different colors on the cuffs for a short time for different branches, medical, pay corps,ect.. You would think they would have shoulder boards like that also? USN buttons have always had an eagle. The USN used colored cloth for staff corps from 1869 to 1922, including shoulder boards from 1899 on. They never used colored cloth plus a corps device, though, it was one or the other. Bill Emerson has a pretty extensive chapter on ATS insignia in his army insignia book, he says the ATS used colored cloth 1933-1944, with red for engineer officers. The USN branch color for medical officers was cobalt blue 1869-1883, then maroon. British Navy surgeons used scarlet red. I think Steve called it right, they're merchant marine/steamship company boards for a medical officer, but it would be extremely difficult to narrow it down more than that. Justin B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steindaddie Posted August 4, 2013 Author Share #10 Posted August 4, 2013 I appreciate the inputs, and here is the button in question. It has no makers mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeb Posted August 5, 2013 Share #11 Posted August 5, 2013 Can someone tell me what branch of service these came from? Black wool, red velvet, they are attached by threaded studs as opposed to snaps. Much obliged, Will The U.S Navy stopped using branch colors between stripes in 1922, I believe. The Hospital Corps was opened to commissioned officers on July 24th, 1941. They remained in the Hospital Corps until August 7th, 1947, when the existing officers were appointed into the newly created Medical Service Corps. At this time only retired officers remained in the Hospital Corps. So, it can't possibly be U.S. Navy. Possibly, it belongs to a shipping or cruise ship company. Unless the private company has its own buttons, they would use U.S. Navy buttons. Or whatever is available. Any kind of button could be used. Who would notice or care? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve B. Posted August 6, 2013 Share #12 Posted August 6, 2013 What did/does the US Public Health Service use for rank insignia? Their uniforms always resembled US Navy uniforms to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garth Thompson Posted August 6, 2013 Share #13 Posted August 6, 2013 The US PHS used naval type boards but the corps insignia was a vertical caduceus with a horizontal anchor. They did however used colored backing to the rank stripes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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