Two New Master CPO Rates

[36-tex]

Just received these two. Nice bullion work.

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[36-tex]

Another

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[dpcsdan]

Just received these two. Nice bullion work.

Very interesting find!

I have a lot of thoughts on this rating badge.

*The specialty was in use from late-1957 until early 1961.

*Senior and Master Chief pay grades weren't approved until 1958.

*Nuclear Weaponsman was a very small set of individuals and likely never had more than a couple of senior and master chiefs authorized in those years.

*Rating badges incorporating the stars directly in the rating badge weren't immediately available in late-1958, the CPOs who were selected for the first E8 and E9 upgrades just purchased the stars and had them sewed above their existing rating badges, especially all the bullion versions of the rating badges. It's likely E8 and E9 rating bullion rating badges didn't appear until 1960 or around there. A very small window for this specialty before being incorporated into the Gunner's Mate rating.

*Finding this specialty in the CPO (E7) grade in bullion is a rare find in itself. I've seen four.

You should share this find with John Stacey for his next book update.

Nice find.

-dan

[0bx]

Here is my bullion CPO(E-7) Nuclear Weaponsman rating. Not really from the era that I concentrate on but I kind of stumbled across it. As Dan mentioned, this speciality had a relatively short life and I doubt there were that many

E-7s, much less E-8s or E-9s.

-fritz

 

 

[sigsaye]

Here is my bullion CPO(E-7) Nuclear Weaponsman rating. Not really from the era that I concentrate on but I kind of stumbled across it. As Dan mentioned, this speciality had a relatively short life and I doubt there were that many

E-7s, much less E-8s or E-9s.

-fritz

reguardless of how many Sailors actually wore these rating badges, the thing to remember is that they were manufactured in "Lots". In my dealings with wholesale dealings with manufacturers such as Waretbury buttons, the smallest "lot" they will sell is 1 gross or 144 each. With the rate only exsisting for 4 years, there would not have been alot ordered, but if one lot of each was ordered each year, for blue with red chevrons, blue with gold, khaki and white, for E-7 in '57-'60/'61, then 8 and 9 in '58-'60, that totals out to quite a few made. Now, how many were actually purchased by the Sailors for wear is another thing. As Dan said, when 8 and 9 came out, generally just a set of stars were purchased and sewn on top as needed. But, we see here a Master Chief crow, so it can be assuned that Senior Chief crows were also manufactured.

 

Since most of these were obviously not used, they would have been put into storage when the rate was abolished, and then sadley, most likely destroyed eventually to make room for other stuff. While it seems that there were quite a few made when you total up four years worth of the minimum ammount that could be ordered from the maker (Not counting those available in tailor shops and locker clubs), the number is insignificant when compared to rates such as Boatswain Mate or Machinest Mate. The number used is even more minute. Great crows, beutiful workmanship.

 

Steve Hesson