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WWI Navy Yeomanette Jacket Find


carnut63
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Thanks.

Now if anyone has a shirt, skirt, and original cap so that I could complete the uniform I would appreciate it!

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Great find!

 

As far as the shirt goes, they pretty much wore white commercial "shirtwaists" Photos show that high collar, open collar and "sailor" collar were worn. For Yeoman (F) below the rank of Chief Yeoman (F), they also frequently wore the neckerchief. Just about any white commercial women's shirt would be fine for display

 

They wore various hats with this uniform. Mainly straw boaters in both navy blue and natural straw. US Navy or US Naval Reserve Force Ribbons were usually worn by ranks below Chief. Chiefs tended to wear Straw Boaters with the CPO device on the front. Other hats included a navy blue felt "parson" hat, and the navy flat hat with the bow moved to the side and the grommet removed. If you watch eBay, you can get a nice, high-crown straw boater for very little for display.

 

The skirt will be a lot harder to find on the loose. The matching skirt was a plain navy blue A-line with two patch pockets below the waist in front. Pretty much, if you didn't get it with the jacket you have next to no chance of getting one... But you never know...

 

 

post-594-0-51858800-1446210667.jpgpost-594-0-33812100-1446210684.jpg

Blue and White Yeoman (F) Uniforms

 

Congratulations again! These are tough to find.

 

Chris

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Beautiful uniforms. Always loved the lady's items. Chris, just as a note, on the USN issue Flat Hats, the bow was always on the side. The bow was sewn directly to the side of the hat, and the ribbon would be fitted around the cap with the ends trimmed to fit under the bow then sewn down.

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Sigsaye,

 

I'll have to photograph the one I have so you can see what I mean. On a normal hat, the bow is sewn at about 1600. On the female hat it has been re-sewn at about 1400-1500.

 

Chris

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All,

 

Here is the Yeoman (F) hat I was talking about. Note how far forward the bow is in relation to the tally. Perhaps I am inferring too much but I have never seen another with the ribbon so prominently forward. If the "N" in NAVY is taken as the approximate 1200 position, the center of the bow is somewhere around 1400-1500:

 

 

post-594-0-21166900-1446398785.jpg

Yeoman (F) "Flat Hat"

Chris

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All,

 

Here is the Yeoman (F) hat I was talking about. Note how far forward the bow is in relation to the tally. Perhaps I am inferring too much but I have never seen another with the ribbon so prominently forward. If the "N" in NAVY is taken as the approximate 1200 position, the center of the bow is somewhere around 1400-1500:

 

 

 

attachicon.gif Yeoman F 00 - 1 (1).jpg

Yeoman (F) "Flat Hat"

Chris
. Chris, if you note, the seam under the crown should be the center. To me, it looks like the ribbon is off center.
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Sigseye,

 

OK. I see what you are saying. As you see, the ribbon is machine sewn, and it appears as though the choice was made to make the bow more prominent--at least if it was worn with the US NAVY centered. I think this Yeoman (F) did it to "feminize" the hat to a certain extent. Perhaps her intent was to have the "US Navy" rakishly off center... Either way, here is a nice photo from the Official US Navy History site showing Yeoman (F)s wearing this hat:

 

post-594-0-30796800-1446406184.jpeg

Note you can just make out the bow on the hat of the Yeoman (F) to the right.

Here is another nice photo of a group of Yeoman (F)s showing the multitude of "shirt waists" and variations on the straw hat:

 

post-594-0-03497200-1446406189.jpeg

It is hard to tell, but it looks as though the two hats on the right may be made of beaver felt. The Yeoman (F)

second from the right has the neckerchief--as was sometimes worn.

Chris

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  • 7 months later...

Sigseye,

 

OK. I see what you are saying. As you see, the ribbon is machine sewn, and it appears as though the choice was made to make the bow more prominent--at least if it was worn with the US NAVY centered. I think this Yeoman (F) did it to "feminize" the hat to a certain extent. Perhaps her intent was to have the "US Navy" rakishly off center... Either way, here is a nice photo from the Official US Navy History site showing Yeoman (F)s wearing this hat:

 

 

NH 65805.jpeg

Note you can just make out the bow on the hat of the Yeoman (F) to the right.

Here is another nice photo of a group of Yeoman (F)s showing the multitude of "shirt waists" and variations on the straw hat:

 

NH 105398.jpeg

It is hard to tell, but it looks as though the two hats on the right may be made of beaver felt. The Yeoman (F)

second from the right has the neckerchief--as was sometimes worn.

Chris
so does the one on the left. Hers is older her coat. You can see the knot plainly, if you zoom in, you can see it.
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MastersMate

An off the track observation about the navy blue coat in the first photos. That Norfolk style, with the over shoulder straps and the belt, was also the uniform for the surfman of the Life Saving Service from around the mid 1890s until 1915 when that organization was joined with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the new organization called the Coast Guard.

 

The CG remained basically those two agencies but sharing the common name CG. The separate uniforms remained well up into the late 1950s or about 1961.

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Always great to see an old thread come back to the top!

 

Unfortunately, I haven't seen much WW1 era women's services material lately. It seems to have all dried up.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Garth Thompson

Is this a Yeoman (F) skirt? I got this in a large lot of WW1 material from an old collection. I have never seen one but it seems to fit the descriptions I've read. Unfortunately it was stored badly and has some pretty good fading issues but isn't torn up, ripped or have any similar damage.

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post-83-0-34322300-1469385774.jpg

post-83-0-38798700-1469385779.jpg

post-83-0-48946800-1469385784.jpg

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