Uniform detail

[zouave114]

I've seen this detail on other photos of pre-WW1 US Navy, and was wondering what the white lanyard might be around the Sailor's neck? The caption reads: Circa 1900. "U.S.S. Chicago. One of the crew."

 

 

Jeff Rodriguez

[124cav]

isnt it the whistle cord?

[fordmustanggt_350]

Now I am not a Navy expert by any means but I do believe that the cord is for a bosun whistle.

[124cav]

like what i said

 

where are the navy dudes on this one?

 

maybe put Sailor or Navy uniform in the topic

 

also maybe put in the uniforms and or photo section

 

reenactors tend to be a little more into there own thing

[DesertRatTom]

I've seen this detail on other photos of pre-WW1 US Navy, and was wondering what the white lanyard might be around the Sailor's neck? The caption reads: Circa 1900. "U.S.S. Chicago. One of the crew."

Jeff Rodriguez

 

 

Thanks for posting the high res pic, when you enlarge it you can see the different knots and weaves without too much distortion. It is a lanyard for a Bos'n's Pipe (whistle). One of the things that had not changed since that became an official rating during the ACW, was a prospective Bos'n had to make his own lanyard using specific knots and weaves, with the lanyard having to be within certain dimensions and have certain amounts of specific knots. That was relay to me by my father who was a Mate in WWII.

 

Tom

[Grizzly Adams]

Actually, the white lanyard shown is a knife lanyard. While a Bos'n would use such a lanyard for his pipe, the lanyard was an item issued to all bluejackets during this period. It should be noted that while intended for the deck knife, many times sailors who did not need the knife for their duties used it to secure their locker key.

 

From the 1897 USN uniform regulations:

 

Knife Lanyard

 

For all enlisted men, except chief petty officers, officers' messmen, and bandsmen (Pl. XI, fig. 1).—Of bleached white cotton. To be flat sennit, one-half (1/2) to nine-sixteenths (9/16) of an inch wide, tightly laid up; to have a turk's head slide; and to be long enough, when around the neck, to allow the knife to be used with arm extended.