Jump to content

The WW2 Harbor Net Tender Insignia Types and Origin


ocsfollowme
 Share

Recommended Posts

ocsfollowme

Looks like the same one (fake F)but now listed by a seller who normally has good stuff.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-US-Navy-harbor-net-tender-insignia-patch-/322458367748?hash=item4b14043704:g:TOIAAOSw4YdY0FGx

 

 

Sadly it is at $225 with 1 hour remaining. Agree: he tends to have really nice things. Did you contact him? He has a 30 day return policy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
ocsfollowme

So the Black and White version in #20 I am going to say that it is real. It is exactly like the blue/yellow version. I just picked up one just like it today that was on a display board where all of the patches were sewn onto the fabric. The newest patch is 1956 and maybe several of the Air Force chevrons are into the 1960s/1970s.

 

post-122868-0-20791400-1526507518_thumb.jpg

 

post-122868-0-74228200-1526507529.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ocsfollowme

post-122868-0-97600900-1526507553_thumb.jpg

 

post-122868-0-84783900-1526507581_thumb.jpg

 

Note the similarities. It is similar to the sterling pin in #7 in that both of these versions have the swastika on the left side of the German U-Boat.

 

post-122868-0-49016900-1526509362_thumb.jpg

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/uploads//monthly_02_2015/post-122868-0-58195600-1423540885.jpg

 

In my humble opinion (IMHO) I believe there are now 5 known WW2 variations of the Harbor Net Tender patch. 3 variations of the black and white insignia and the two colored versions.

 

I welcome all comments on this new B/W insignia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ocsfollowme

It was just pointed out to me that this new version posted today, same as #20, is navy blue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

mortaydc60

Steve you have added a previously unrecognized version of the Harbor Net Tender. The blue and yellow West coast version was known but not well known by most and now you have shown us the B&W version. Not many can say they have introduced the collecting community to a new item never seen before and on top of that such a rare one to boot. You have a great eye!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ocsfollowme

Steve you have added a previously unrecognized version of the Harbor Net Tender. The blue and yellow West coast version was known but not well known by most and now you have shown us the B&W version. Not many can say they have introduced the collecting community to a new item never seen before and on top of that such a rare one to boot. You have a great eye!

 

 

Thanks Mort. Patch Johnson actually noted that Type 5, if you look on the reverse, is actually navy blue. I missed that. It looks black from the front. It is always fun discovering new things and tracking down history -- which makes this forum a great place to be and be a part of.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ocsfollowme

In terms of rarity: they are all rare. Type 1 is what you typically se---and maybe 7 or 8 have been on ebay in the past 7 years.. Type 2, I have only seen one at Vintage Productions. Type 3 and 4 are rarer than Type 1. I have seen two Type 5's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is one of my favorite threads on the USMF. The varieties of these patches are so diverse. Glad to see folks are getting these nailed down and organized.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

mortaydc60

Great job Steve! My favorite is the type #3 which is a Disney design which is unique to that version of the patch and one i have looked for for 40 years and finally obtained this year. Only seen it for sale once in all that time and never on ebay that I am aware.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Hello to all.  I am a new forum member.  I know this is an old thread, but I have some information that I'd like to share. 

 

I'm not sure where the Disney connection for the Net Depot patch Type 3 shown in ocsfollowme's post above came from, but my understanding is that patch was designed during WWII for the Tiburon Net Depot up in the San Francisco Bay.   There was a television show made about 15 years ago about the Tiburon Net Depot in which several sailors who were stationed there during the War talked about this patch.  It was designed by Bud Whitney, a talented cartoonist, who was a carpenter mate striker stationed at the Tiburon Net Depot for a time during WWII.   The Bachelor's Officers' Quarters at the Tiburon Net Depot has/had several of But Whitney's cartoon drawings on the walls.  I have some photos of those taken from the TV show.  Bud Whitney was later assigned to a ship in the Pacific Theater before the War's end, but he was killed in action.  The name of the octopus on the patch is "Nelly", not Oscar.  My father was an officer in the Navy during WWII, and he was trained in Net Operations at Tiburon.  When they finished the course in Net Operations they were given a gag diploma which included a drawing of Nelly on it.  I still have my father's diploma as well as all of his study materials for the Net Operations and I've attached a photo of the diploma.

 

If anyone has a different story on this Tiburon Net Depot patch, I would love to hear it.

LtHG_diploma_tiburon net depot.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ocsfollowme

LtHGB thanks for adding a photo of the certificate! Now that is rare. We go off info that we have....and it appears you have cleared up a lot for us!

 

Nelly it is!

 

Do you have any pins or patches of the octopus? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Salvage Sailor
36 minutes ago, LtHGB said:

 

My father was an officer in the Navy during WWII, and he was trained in Net Operations at Tiburon.  When they finished the course in Net Operations they were given a gag diploma which included a drawing of Nelly on it.  I still have my father's diploma as well as all of his study materials for the Net Operations and I've attached a photo of the diploma.

 

If anyone has a different story on this Tiburon Net Depot patch, I would love to hear it.

 

LtHG_diploma_tiburon net depot.jpg

 

Welcome Aboard,

 

This is also the first time I've seen "Yorick the Bull".....

 

We'd be very interested in your fathers' study aids and any other photos you have of him and his service.

 

Aloha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Salvage Sailor

Some information on Captain Stanley Martyn Haight, USNA class of 1918 (click on the links for his citations and information)

 

Midshipman Stanley Martyn Haight USNA Class of 1918.jpg

 

12th Naval District (12th N.D.) CO Net Depot, Net Sec., Net Squad, and Net Training School Tiburon, CA

 

He was indeed the Commanding Officer of the Net Tender School in 1943-1944 and later in 1944 a Beachmaster at Leyte in the Philippines where he was awarded the Silver Star (Citation here).  He was also awarded a Legion of Merit with Combat V as Commander of a Division of Attack Transports during the amphibious assault and capture of Leyte, Luzon and Iwo Jima (Citation here - see page two). 

 

Stanley Haight also invented THE SEDGLEY OSS GLOVE GUN (aka the Haight Fist Gun) - a spectacular contraption for self defense in a combat area.

 

 

download.png

 

 

Stanley Haight retired from the Navy as a Rear Admiral and is buried at the US Naval Academy Cemetery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have any patches or pins.  My father being an officer would not  have worn that kind of stuff.  Even though the Nelly patch was made for the Tiburon Net Depot sailors they were not permitted to wear it.

 

After being trained at the Tiburon Net Depot my father was assigned to harbor defense.  He acted in that capacity for periods of time in San Diego, San Pedro, and San Francisco California.  One of the net operation duties were to open and close for ship traffic the anti-submarine/anti-torpedo net that they stretched across the harbor openings.  After those duties he was transferred to the USS Keokuk, a net cargo ship that was involved in various island assaults in the Pacific Theater including Palau, Iwo Jima (where they were hit by a Kamikaze), and Okinawa.

 

I'll have to dig out my father's Tiburon Net Depot stuff to see what all is there.  I can't recall any photos from the Net Depot,, but I do have a bunch of photos from his time on the USS Keokuk that show, among other things, laying nets to protect the ships involved in the island assaults.  I've also have some photos of the Kamikaze damage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If anyone is interested, the link below is to the TV program called California's Gold that did a segment on the Tiburon Net Depot back in 2002.  The area was used in connection with fishing, then coal loading for ships, then as the net depot.  About 20 minutes into the program while in the bachlors officers quarters one of the old sailors who was there during WWII talks about the Nelly patch and But Whitney.  You can also see Bud's cartoons that he painted on the walls. 

 

Here's the link:  https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2002/01/08/sub-net-californias-gold-4004/

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check out Oscar the Octopus on top of the diploma which was used for the crazy rare patch which was #3 in your post

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Salvage Sailor

Howser "What did you call this place?"

 

Sailors "The Naval Net Depot"

 

Howser "The Naval Net Depot?  That's not a very exciting name"

 

Sailors "Yep,  Haight's Concentration Camp" (Laughter by the old salts)

 

Samples of Carpenters Mate (striker) Bud Whitney's Artwork at the Tiburon BOQ from the video posted above

 

Bud Whitney 001.png

 

Bud Whitney 002.png

 

Bud Whitney 003.png

 

Bud Whitney 004.png

 

Bud Whitney 005.png

 

Bud Whitney 006.png

 

Bud Whitney 007.png

 

Tiburon_Officers.png

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Salvage Sailor
1 hour ago, mortaydc60 said:

Check out Oscar the Octopus on top of the diploma which was used for the crazy rare patch which was #3 in your post

 

Hi Mort,

 

Seems that the name was Nelly, not Oscar, as stated in the video posted that also has the name of the artist who was later KIA in the South Pacific, Bud Whitney.

 

Steve referred to this as his 'Type 3' Harbor Net Tender patch, or as Irish called it, the West Coast variety which we now know was from the Tiburon Net base.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Salvage Sailor

Just for fun, some Korean War era and Vietnam era Net Tender patches from my collection

 

USS NAHANT (AN-83) Cohoes class net laying ship, Japanese made

 

AN 83 USS NAHANT 001.jpg

 

AN 83 USS NAHANT 002.jpg

 

USS NAHANT (AN-83) Philippine made, easier to see the submarine net anti-torpedo rings in this one

 

AN_83_USS_NAHANT_003.jpg

 

AN_83_USS_NAHANT_004.jpg

 

USS BUTTERNUT (AN-9) Aloe class net layer, Both Japanese Made

 

AN_9_USS_BUTTERNUT_001.jpg

 

 

 

AN_9_USS_BUTTERNUT_003.jpg

 

AN_9_USS_BUTTERNUT_004.jpg

 

USS COHOES (ANL-78) class leader

 

AN 78 USS COHOES 001.jpg

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nelly the octopus was used on all sorts of things at the Tiburon Net Depot including menus, a newsletter, and on matchbook covers (see attached photo).  They even had a movie theater at the Depot.

Nelly_Tiburon Net Depot_matchbook_sml.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love the info shared on this thread. Thanks everyone. I was fortunate enough to find a Type 1 this year for my collection. Even though Type 1 is the most common, they are still difficult to find.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...