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WWII Bullion Line & Warrant Officer Specialty Marks


Salvage Sailor
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Salvage Sailor

Aloha Everyone,

 

These are from an old museum archive that I've had for many years. Most of them are Commissioned and Warrant specialty marks worn on the sleeve cuff per the uniform regulations of 1941-1946

 

 

Bullion Marks 001.jpg

Bullion Marks 002.jpg

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The last one is Construction Corps, abolished in 1940. The Crypto device, as Communications Technician, was authorized in 1958. Cool collection, I always like seeing the variations of embroidery details. Thanks for the post,

 

Justin B.

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Salvage Sailor

Thanks Justin,

 

So the Construction Corps is a Commissioned insignia, I was looking under the Warrant marks for that one. The Crypto insignia looks older, but may be 1958.

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The specialty marks for the Pharmacist and the Gunner done in the yellow silk are interesting.

 

In the April or May 1940 editions of the Bupers Bulletin, the predecessor to All Hands, was an article concerning changes to the Navy uniform regs. One item concerned the current shortages of gold lace thread which was imported from France. Until the US textile industry could figure out how to manufacture the lace in quantity, yellow silk embroidery thread could be substituted for the gold thread needed to produce the gold lace/bullion type items.

 

CPO rating badges were effected by early 1942 and the plain white thread crows on the CPO rating badge in place of the bullion embroidered crow and specialty mark.

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The specialty marks for the Pharmacist and the Gunner done in the yellow silk are interesting.

 

In the April or May 1940 editions of the Bupers Bulletin, the predecessor to All Hands, was an article concerning changes to the Navy uniform regs. One item concerned the current shortages of gold lace thread which was imported from France. Until the US textile industry could figure out how to manufacture the lace in quantity, yellow silk embroidery thread could be substituted for the gold thread needed to produce the gold lace/bullion type items.

 

I wondered if that's what those were, but I can't say I've seen any of that vintage before. The first authorization of "non-gold" insignia was Change No. 1 to the 1922 Uniform Regulations, Nov. 1924, which added "or yellow silk lace of approved shade and pattern" for stripes and corps devices. It seems like Depression, war shortages or whatever, most officers and chiefs preferred to get the "genuine article."

 

The crescent device in post #18 looks like the USN Muslim Chaplain's device of today, but that was only authorized in 1994. I've checked the references I have for USPHS, USMS, USC&GS, and ATS but can't find anything that exactly matches. Steamship company, maybe?

 

Justin B.

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Salvage Sailor

 

I wondered if that's what those were, but I can't say I've seen any of that vintage before. The first authorization of "non-gold" insignia was Change No. 1 to the 1922 Uniform Regulations, Nov. 1924, which added "or yellow silk lace of approved shade and pattern" for stripes and corps devices. It seems like Depression, war shortages or whatever, most officers and chiefs preferred to get the "genuine article."

 

The crescent device in post #18 looks like the USN Muslim Chaplain's device of today, but that was only authorized in 1994. I've checked the references I have for USPHS, USMS, USC&GS, and ATS but can't find anything that exactly matches. Steamship company, maybe?

 

Justin B.

 

So perhaps it is a bullion ships' cook crescent?

 

Bullion Commissary compared to a Gemsco example from a bulletin board posting by navycollector here http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/insignia-flags-regalia/us-navy-rating-badges-118445-5/

Bullion Marks 002.jpg

17 Commissary 001.jpg

17 Commissary 1st Class example 001.jpg

17 Commissary 1st Class example 002.jpg

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