WW2 Navy LT J.G. San Diego sleeve stripe

[easterneagle87]

Went to San Diego with the wife for a meeting. I rode the bus and trolley and just tooled around looking / junking for military.

 

Found this Dress Blue officer jacket in the AM Vets thrift store.

 

Is this a field expedient JG stripe added to the jacket? It just looks like it was quickly done.

 

The jacket is named to F. L. BEZOLD

 

other info:

 

B-39 No. 85865

 

Dated: 5-9-44

 

Abbott Hall

 

Can someone shed some light on this Navy officer? Abboott Hall - refers to a University? Wonder where if this is where he was commissioned.

 

 

[stealthytyler]

Frederick L Bezold (370866) born 1921. Looks like he entered service in 1942. He was listed as being on the USS Scurry in Feb of 1946 as an ENSIGN. The jacket is dated 1944 in the same type as his name so I would assume he was issued this as an Ensign during WWII and then sometime after the war he was promoted to LTJG and the LTJG rank was added. Sound right?

[easterneagle87]

Sounds good. Seems like a long time to be an Ensign.

[29navy]

Abbot Hall was the Navy's Midshipman School at Northwestern University (Chicago). And officers were not issued uniforms, they had to buy them. Looks like he bought it from M. Born, and Co., a men's clothier in Chicago.

 

He was an enlisted man, Radio Technician 1c and left the USS KNAVE, (AM-256) on March 4, 1944 to go to Midshipman school. Probably a April or May class plus 3 months, so may have been commissioned in July/August 1944 time frame. Enlisted 20 Aug 1942, but I'm thinking that is a re-enlistment as he is an RT2c in 1943 (earliest muster report I see).

[stealthytyler]

Abbot Hall was the Navy's Midshipman School at Northwestern University (Chicago). And officers were not issued uniforms, they had to buy them. Looks like he bought it from M. Born, and Co., a men's clothier in Chicago.

 

He was an enlisted man, Radio Technician 1c and left the USS KNAVE, (AM-256) on March 4, 1944 to go to Midshipman school. Probably a April or May class plus 3 months, so may have been commissioned in July/August 1944 time frame. Enlisted 20 Aug 1942, but I'm thinking that is a re-enlistment as he is an RT2c in 1943 (earliest muster report I see).

I saw this enlisted man but figures that couldn't be him. Good job connecting the dots.

[sigsaye]

As for the braid, that is very common for WW2. Gold braid was expensive and hard to get. It also came in various shades, depending on its age and tarnish level. Because there was always a shortage and the cost, you just added stripes as you went. Didn't through away the older stuff. It was acceptable then, especially for Junior Officers.

[Justin B.]

Also the new lace may have looked pretty close to the old for the first few years. But some age better than others, depending on the materials.

[29navy]

In navy customs, upon promotion the officer holds a wetting down party. Upon promotion, a new stripe would be added to the cuff. The new, clean stripe would often stand out from the older, more weathered stripes. Wetting-down was often an attempt to get the new stripe to match the older stripes so the promotion would not look as recent.

 

The wetting-down celebration is always paid for and hosted by the newly promoted officer. It is customary for the officer to spend the difference between their pay at their old rank and their pay at the new rank on the bar tab for their guests.

[Dave]

In navy customs, upon promotion the officer holds a wetting down party. Upon promotion, a new stripe would be added to the cuff. The new, clean stripe would often stand out from the older, more weathered stripes. Wetting-down was often an attempt to get the new stripe to match the older stripes so the promotion would not look as recent.

 

The wetting-down celebration is always paid for and hosted by the newly promoted officer. It is customary for the officer to spend the difference between their pay at their old rank and their pay at the new rank on the bar tab for their guests.

 

The best wetting downs are the ones where three or four of the officers are all promoted at the same time, thus pooling all their money...and then do it in a foreign port. Sadly, these aren't what they used to be, but I've been to some pretty impressive ones "back in the day"...

 

As far as the OP's uniform, this was not an unheard of thing...the Navy needed officers desperately and if someone was a high performing enlisted Sailor, they often ended up being commissioned. Those who remained after the end of the war were subject to being reduced to enlisted status (even up through the early 60s) but many did.

[Justin B.]

 

As far as the OP's uniform, this was not an unheard of thing...the Navy needed officers desperately and if someone was a high performing enlisted Sailor, they often ended up being commissioned. Those who remained after the end of the war were subject to being reduced to enlisted status (even up through the early 60s) but many did.

 

Indeed, the main reason the CPOs' raincoats and finally overcoats and service blue coats were change to the officer style in WW2 was because so many were being commissioned it didn't make sense to have to switch uniforms.