Very strange Chief Pharmacist's Mate; what is it?

[David Minton]

I just picked up Very strange Chief Pharmacist's Mate. It is marked Vanguard on the back, and has construction similar to early WWII era bullion rates. The crow, however, seems to be made of rubber, rather than embrodery.

 

@subsystem4 told me he has one, but only recalls seeing maybe one other, in addition to this one, is fifteen years of collecting.

 

Does anyone know what this is, and why it was made? My guess is it was an experiment, but I'm not sure to what end?

[David Minton]

Reverse:

[Justin B.]

That is a "base" to apply the embroidery over.

 

Justin B.

[David Minton]

That is a "base" to apply the embroidery over.

 

Justin B.

 

OK, so this is just an incomplete bullion rate? Makes sense; I've not taken one apart to see what was inside.

 

Mystery solved.

[Lee Ragan]

It may not be bullion as the cotton embroidered crows were done by hand in those days (WWII era). There is a photograph in the June 1943 National Geographic magazine (page 704), shows a lady hand embroidering a crow on a rating badge.