Jump to content

CPO WAVE Uniforms


otter42
 Share

Recommended Posts

Bought these yesterday, interesting group, all I have is her name that is stenciled which is D A WEST, any help ID'ing her would be great. The dealer said she got it from a local sale in southern Oregon from her daughter. She sure put some time in. Thanks for any help. Ken

post-4732-0-02281300-1437103652.jpg

post-4732-0-33727700-1437103846.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really nice bullion CPO Medical patches, sorry for the poor pic.

 

Nice group, interesting rack, WW2, Korea and Vietnam. Yet no Armed Forces Reserve medal ribbon. Not saying it's bad just interesting nice group for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Ken

Neat little group

 

The top is missing from the hat.There were seprate tops that could be snapped in to wear with various uniforms.More than likely her WW2 era cap and not sure when they were changed post war.The red cross was removed from the rate and replace with a caduseus arounf or after 1947 if I recall correctly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DocCollector1441

The caduseus replaced the red cross in 1948. This is a really nice set. I would love to get my hands on a WAVES Chief Corpsman uniform.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Nice group, interesting rack, WW2, Korea and Vietnam. Yet no Armed Forces Reserve medal ribbon. Not saying it's bad just interesting nice group for sure.

 

The WAVES gained permanent status in the Navy in 1948, She was active duty as of then so why do you think she would have earned the Armed Forces Reserve medal? Was that medal given to active duty personnel or just reservists?

 

....Kat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Nice group, interesting rack, WW2, Korea and Vietnam. Yet no Armed Forces Reserve medal ribbon. Not saying it's bad just interesting nice group for sure.

. Top, not sure why you think there should be an Armed Forces Reserve Ribbon. It took 10 years in the reserves to get that. Don't think she was a Reservist at all.

 

I do have other issues with this uniform. The uniform looks black, indicating post 1975. Also, where are the WAVE collar patches? Those were worn, again until 1975.

 

Also, what's with the HMC crow? They came new, just flat like that. BUT, were always turned under at an angle, under the bottom chevron, when seeing them on. Additionally, extreme sloppy stitching job for a CPO with almost 30 years of service. To me, (and I HAVE been wrong), the crow looks like it was slapped on by someone who did not know what they were doing.

 

To ME, this looks like a post 1975 Female USN uniform that has had a set of ribbons (12 years of Good Conduct?), and an HMC crow, with some bits of WW2 stuff. Without seeing more tags and some info on the original owner, I don't know

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only DA West that pops up for Oregon on findagrave, I would think if she had that much time as a CPO, she would have her own rank indicated, not just "Wife of"....but you never know.

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=West&GSfn=D&GSmn=A&GSby=1930&GSbyrel=before&GSdyrel=all&GSst=39&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=36451930&df=all&

 

As for authenticity.....it doesn't strike me as being a faked one. Why fake a 70's uniform WWII CPO vet with no overseas service in WWII and no service in hardly anything afterward? Most any post-war uniform to a WWII vet is tough to sell (Save MOH and GO's).....I've got one from a Grasshopper pilot with an Air Medal from the Bulge, but it's his 1962 modern army greens - been carting it around for a long time with a price that is about what the insignia is all worth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Only DA West that pops up for Oregon on findagrave, I would think if she had that much time as a CPO, she would have her own rank indicated, not just "Wife of"....but you never know.

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=West&GSfn=D&GSmn=A&GSby=1930&GSbyrel=before&GSdyrel=all&GSst=39&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=36451930&df=all&

 

As for authenticity.....it doesn't strike me as being a faked one. Why fake a 70's uniform WWII CPO vet with no overseas service in WWII and no service in hardly anything afterward? Most any post-war uniform to a WWII vet is tough to sell (Save MOH and GO's).....I've got one from a Grasshopper pilot with an Air Medal from the Bulge, but it's his 1962 modern army greens - been carting it around for a long time with a price that is about what the insignia is all worth.

. Well, not saying faked, just as a retired CPO from that time frame, things just don't add up for me. Where are the bolkar patches? Why is the rating badge seen on so sloppy? Why with nearly 30 years was she only CPO? I doubt she was a CPO in WW2, just served then and stayed in. The ribbons, would be about right for a Female HM who rotated through Stateside hospitals and such. But the black post '75 looking uniform just doesn't look right to me. Just sayin'
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Steve on this one. The rating badge is sewn on very sloppy for a 30 year vet. And I didn't even notice the missing collar insignia. Where are they?

 

Can the OP please post some more pictures of the uniform and include the tags?

 

...Kat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's some more detailed pics of the uniforms, also in one of them without the ribbons has another woman's name, maybe a hand me down??? Thanks for all the comments, Ken

 

post-4732-0-25765700-1439435470.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, not '70s original owner was a YNC, not HMC. So, the rating badge has been changed. Kat, female CPOs DID wear the collar patches, right?

 

Now, lots of stuff gets passed around, I wore uniforms that I got from others quite a bit. I still wonder why that HMC rating badge is so sloppy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kat, female CPOs DID wear the collar patches, right?

 

Now, lots of stuff gets passed around, I wore uniforms that I got from others quite a bit. I still wonder why that HMC rating badge is so sloppy

 

Steve,

 

I looked in my reference book to make sure. The collar patches were worn by all enlisted ranks.

 

Also, the tag on this uniform is not WWII or even post WWII. Even after WWII, the reference book shows tags saying "US Women's Naval Reserve". The book says that the term WAVES was not totally dropped until the 1970's.

 

I too am thinking these are a mix of items belonging to two different women. I wonder someone sewed on the rating badge thinking it belonged.

 

...Kat

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The tags for officer and CPO uniforms would not be like those of issue uniforms. They purchased commercially made uniforms. This uniform was late 1950s, until some one can confirm that "D.A.West" served from WW2 and stayed for 28-30 years, I'd say this is not her uniform. You might also want to track the name in the uniform and find out what her time of service was.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The tags for officer and CPO uniforms would not be like those of issue uniforms. They purchased commercially made uniforms. This uniform was late 1950s, until some one can confirm that "D.A.West" served from WW2 and stayed for 28-30 years, I'd say this is not her uniform. You might also want to track the name in the uniform and find out what her time of service was.

 

Thanks Steve! You are a fountain of knowledge! Thanks for clarifying about the tags.

 

...Kat

 

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...