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U.S.Public Health Service ratings


hhbooker2
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While U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy rates have a white eagle and specialty mark with scarlet-red or gold chevrons on navy blue or a blue eagle, chevrons, and specialty mark on the white uniform, the rates worn by the enlisted personnel of the United States Public Health Service had a maroon eagle, chevrons, and specialty marks on both winter navy blue wool and summer white cotten uniforms. Visibility of the wearerer's rank was hard to determine if too far away and they photographed poorly for lack of contrast as you can see in the rate for a Pilot (1st Class Petty Officer) ships steering wheel. I have the 1914 and the 1937 uniform regulations for the U.S.P.H.S., in 1937 they made a lot of big changes in the rank insigniaw hich I shall show in succeeding posts here, enjoy! :rolleyes:

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Marine Engineer wore a goldwire bullion embroidered rate fixed between the elbow and the cuff of both sleeves, such as this rare example of an eagle and a ship's spoked steering wheel above a half wreath of olive leaves. crying.gif

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Marine Pilot wore a three-bladed ship's screw; this one is from 1937 when they eliminated the chevrons and replaced it with a half wreath now worn on both arms. pinch.gif

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Great USPHS ratings!

 

Now these you don't get to see every day.

 

Have you ever come across a "U.S. QUARANTINE" cap talley?

 

Chris

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Great USPHS ratings!

 

Now these you don't get to see every day.

 

Have you ever come across a "U.S. QUARANTINE" cap talley?

 

Chris

 

CHRIS: Have both sets of regulations for 1914 and 1937 and believe I have ship's tallies in one or both of them. Someone actually collects them? I find little if any competition in USPHS like these rates, maybe collectors are not aware of them? I scanned my regulations and gave the CD to an eBay seller who showed an interest in those old books. Gave him a lot of CDs as I have no way of reaching collectors and serious researchers and although I did give away about 350-plus CDs, never knew if anyone copied them and passed this information along to others? I never charged for the CDs nor their postage - www.usnavy.cx carries them now, asked the USPHS people if they maintained a museum, never geard from them? Might send thisd stuff to Manions and let them have whatever they can get for this stuff - the managed to move the books I've donated to them - glad to see someone else is interested in the U.S.P.H.S., Chris, thanks for your nice reply, much appreciated. :)

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Sarge,

 

I am interested in anything having to do with the US involvement in WW1. US Public Health Service, US Coast and Geodetic Survey, Coast Guard Life Saving Stations, State Guards, Militias, Public Safety Committees, relief organizations, and of course the USA, USN, and USMC.

 

Thanks for sharing. Those Maroon rates are scarce!

 

Chris

 

CHRIS: Have both sets of regulations for 1914 and 1937 and believe I have ship's tallies in one or both of them. Someone actually collects them? I find little if any competition in USPHS like these rates, maybe collectors are not aware of them? I scanned my regulations and gave the CD to an eBay seller who showed an interest in those old books. Gave him a lot of CDs as I have no way of reaching collectors and serious researchers and although I did give away about 350-plus CDs, never knew if anyone copied them and passed this information along to others? I never charged for the CDs nor their postage - www.usnavy.cx carries them now, asked the USPHS people if they maintained a museum, never geard from them? Might send thisd stuff to Manions and let them have whatever they can get for this stuff - the managed to move the books I've donated to them - glad to see someone else is interested in the U.S.P.H.S., Chris, thanks for your nice reply, much appreciated. :)
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Sarge,

 

I am interested in anything having to do with the US involvement in WW1. US Public Health Service, US Coast and Geodetic Survey, Coast Guard Life Saving Stations, State Guards, Militias, Public Safety Committees, relief organizations, and of course the USA, USN, and USMC.

 

Thanks for sharing. Those Maroon rates are scarce!

 

Chris

 

CHRIS: Yes, USPHS rates are scarce to rare, but they are all maroon from what I have seen except for the 1937 bullion rates for Marine Engineer and Marine Officer. The 1937 rates with a half wreath in place of chevrons are probably harder to find than the 1914 maroon rates? I helped do the artwork for Rudy Basurto who did books on the Sea Services like the Light House Service, USC&GS, etc. I also have USC&GS rates if anyone would like to see them here, of course? "CROW'S NEST" newsletter was something I pronted and gave away, 13-issues of almost 400-pages, ASMIC Library has two sets of them, but they never offered me a discount on yearly dues? I used to illustrate for them and one issue carried 14 articles I drew and wrote, that is water under the bridge! I also have loads of stuff on those relief organizations, probably more than they might want me to show here? I have probably 50-plus large boxes filled with emphemera, books, booklets, ink blotters, brochures, etc.? Have made lots of CDs with more than 30,000 scans and still many more to scan, gave these to four different eBay sellers to sell and keep the money, somply to get those CDs into the hands of collectors as making money does not interest ne, preserving militrary insignia is what it is about. I hope what I post will find receptive viewers, thank you for stoppong in, Chris! :D

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My 1937 Regulations Governing the Uniforms of Personnel of the United States Public Health Service om page 51 has these special rates used by seamen and petty officers of the USPHS, such as you see here. They eliminated the chevrons and replaced them with a half wreath for seamen and other also had the navy eagle above for petty officers, but they did not refer to them as such? think.gif Sarge Booker of Tujunga, California

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The earlier examples were for the lower enlisted ranks amd these were the petty officer equivalents. thumbsup.gif Sarge Booker

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  • 5 months later...

I found this original photo of a 19th century petty officer in the Marine Hospital Service, predecessor to the Public Health Service.

 

mhs.jpg

 

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  • 5 years later...

I purchased this rate as part of a large lot, two steps from the original collector, so was not able to gather any details on it. I thought it was a 1937 pattern PHS Nurse, though when I referred to the Uniform Regulations, while similar, it didn't match the photo. Can anyone identify what I have? Sorry the photos aren't great.

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Garth Thompson

I purchased this rate as part of a large lot, two steps from the original collector, so was not able to gather any details on it. I thought it was a 1937 pattern PHS Nurse, though when I referred to the Uniform Regulations, while similar, it didn't match the photo. Can anyone identify what I have? Sorry the photos aren't great.

 

 

David,

 

You have it exactly correct, a USPHS male nurse.

 

Garth

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Garth, is there significance to the direction the eagle is facing? With Navy rates, this helps with dating. On the other hand, I understand the early rates that were made for USMC uniforms were made and sold in pairs, even though only one was worn. Could that be the case here; the manufacturer made both right and left facing?

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Garth Thompson

Garth, is there significance to the direction the eagle is facing? With Navy rates, this helps with dating. On the other hand, I understand the early rates that were made for USMC uniforms were made and sold in pairs, even though only one was worn. Could that be the case here; the manufacturer made both right and left facing?

 

It was a little hard to find a reference for the rating badges but I found a reference stating two two badges were worn, one on each arm. So it appears these were made as pairs worn with the eagle's head pointed forward on each arm.

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Thanks for looking into this. I have access to the 1937 Uniform Regulations and didn't think to check if it indicated if the rates were worn in pairs.

 

So, between the two of us we have one matched pair of Nurse rates ;-)

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  • 9 months later...

Greetings & Salutations: Feel free to download U.U.P.H.S. uniform regulations for 1914 and 1937 at https://picasaweb.google.com/booker1942 and see actual rates used. These two are 1914 rates for the United States Public Health Service and have survived almost one hundred years. When they changed the regulations in 1937, like the U.S. Armed Forces, manufacturers knew even less about the USPHS rates and may not have had more than a description of these rates? The rate you show here was made in 1937 or shortly afterward, bear in mind they sometimes referred to the older regs or used drawings that were not accurate. I was a graphic artist for LeBeau Embroidery in L.A. in 1980 and saw plenty of mistakes as the other artists were mostly older Cubans who fled after Castro came into power and they were not all that familiar with what the U.S. Armed Forces wore and had no reference books to check! I stopped one other artist from adding an anchor to a U.S. Air Force patch and pointed out the was a twist with an eagle's claw at each end like used in ancient Rome. Colonel Lee Beaumont, USAF Retired was limited as what they even wore in the USAF and I gave him some gold metal buttons used before for a short time before the dully silver buttons with the USAF emblems when they quite using the older Army Air Forces uniforms. He was not pleased with my showing him they existed and same with the catches they would have made with cloth embroidered patches. Much of they embroidery was for the local police agencies, the public buses and the Boy Scouts of America jamboree patches. Either eagle like you have or like the U.S. Navy is correct and were worn. Bunkley's book shows them the way you have that one, a manufacturer may have looked to Bunkley's insignia book? I have over 4,500 albums at https://picasaweb.google.com/booker1942 with over 6.5 million visitors though I think they show too many zeros? My website was set up for free so collectors who cannot find or afford books on uniforms or insignia can download scans there and use them whoever they wish. I'll be 72 years old in October this year, might as well share and save others the hassle of searching for references. My library alone covers most of the enclosed patio with fifteen book shelves with more books in boxes. I scan those without copyright so others can use them too! I ask that you enjoy and share these with others, tell them where they can get information! Herbert Booker of Palm Coast, Florida

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  • 3 years later...

I purchased this rate as part of a large lot, two steps from the original collector, so was not able to gather any details on it. I thought it was a 1937 pattern PHS Nurse, though when I referred to the Uniform Regulations, while similar, it didn't match the photo. Can anyone identify what I have? Sorry the photos aren't great.

I have no idea what it is, either, but the eagle needs a haircut.

Sorry...the CPO in me just could not resist.

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  • 2 years later...

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