Device Inquiry

[Tudorp]

I got these in a batch of insiginias, and other devices. Mostly WWII era Army. I am not as familier with Navy, which I would assume these are. Can someone school me on exactly what these are? I am sure they are lapel devices, but for what type of unit? The two on the right are a matching left/right set. The two on the left are the same "type" but not a matched set. one has a clutch back, the other is slightly different and a "safety" pin type back. The finish on it is slightly brighter as well. Also, any idea or way to tell of what era these are as well. The two on the right have some patina darkening, the other two are brighter.

 

[Dave]

These are midshipman collar devices. From the photo, they all look fairly recent; but from your description, some might be older. It would help to see a photo of the reverse.

 

For the Naval Academy, the small anchor, in a single, would be used to indicate a 3rd Class Midshipman. Both anchors (one on each collar) would indicate a 2nd Class. The larger eagle-on-anchor devices are for a 1st Class.

 

In Officer Candidate School, we wore the two small anchors on the collar, and my wife wore them in ROTC as well (I can't recall any photos of her wearing the eagle and anchor ones, but I think they did).

 

As a 1st Class (for both ROTC and the USNA) the eagle and anchor devices are only worn when not in a leadership position. In other words, a single bar would be worn in lieu of this device for a squad leader, two bars for a platoon leader, three bars for a company commander, etc. In OCS, we were "Candidate Ensign" with one bar "Candidate Lieutenant JG" with two, "Candidate Lieutenant" with three, and so on.

 

Hope that helps!

Dave

[Tudorp]

here are the backs. The one on the right represents both on the right in the 1st picture. Those two are the same. The two of the left are the two on the left in the 1st picture. They are very similar, but slightly different, and the attachment are completely different on those two.

[Tudorp]

And yes, that helped tremedously. Thanks.

[Dave]

The pinback ones went out when clutchbacks came in...since they were so small the clutchback ones were far more popular so they were phased out very quickly. I'm guessing late 40s or early 50s. The others, with the different lighting, appear maybe 60s or 70s.

 

Hope that helps!

[Tudorp]

yeah, I have a cheap camera that either washes out with it's flash, or too dark without it. The eagle/achor pins are actually pretty dark with patina that doesn't show well in the pics. Much darker than the other two. The pin back one is actually quite a bit brighter than the others, and slightly brighter than the one similar to it with the clutch back.

[Tudorp]

So from your description, the pin back pre-dates the clutch back? All the others are clutch back, including the eagle/achor pins. When I served all our pins were clutch back (70's through 80s). But I rarely wore dress uniform that required pins, and I was Air Force so quite different pins. I may have worn dress blues maybe 5 times in my career, the rest of time I was in utility uniform.

[Dave]

So from your description, the pin back pre-dates the clutch back? All the others are clutch back, including the eagle/achor pins. When I served all our pins were clutch back (70's through 80s). But I rarely wore dress uniform that required pins, and I was Air Force so quite different pins. I may have worn dress blues maybe 5 times in my career, the rest of time I was in utility uniform.

 

Yep...much like the collar insignia for rank as well. When clutchbacks came out, pinbacks went out the window...it was too tough to get the tiny pinbacks to look right and not get that "pucker" that they form on the uniform material.