Fouled Anchor

[sigma9r]

Greetings, Navy brothers and sisters,

I am working on an article for the Trading Post about the Information Dominance Warfare badges and I'm stumped. I've noticed this on several breast badges and rank: the "fouled anchor". I know where it came from, the British Admiralty in 1588 and I understand why the CPO hat badge carries a fouled anchor. What of the Naval Flight Officer, officer's cap insignia and other Naval badges? Why, if the fouled anchor is the symbol of the struggle of the CPO and the sign of unprofessionalism or poor seamanship, put it on Navy breast badges??

 

Thanks,

Wiley

[Justin B.]

The foul anchor was used by USN midshipmen in the early 1800s and on caps by commissioned and warrant officers long before there was such thing as a CPO. It was the epaulette/shoulder strap/collar insignia for line officers and still appears on admirals' shoulder boards. It is also the cap and collar insignia for midshipmen (except for USNA dress coats, which use a clear anchor). In fact, in the short period 1883-84 when the rank was authorized, ensign j.g. wore a sliver plain anchor on the shoulder straps and collar, while the senior ranks wore the foul anchor.

 

Various stories about what the fouled anchor symbolizes are just attempts to retrofit an explanation in place of the real one: The foul anchor was used because the cable wrapping around makes a nice design and looks better than a plain anchor.

 

Justin B.

[sigma9r]

Thanks, Justin. That is, by far, the most "popular" answer I have found.

[Dave]

All the references I've found blame this fellow, Lord Effingham, for the design, and it's been carried on as a decorative flourish since then:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Howard,_1st_Earl_of_Nottingham

[sigma9r]

Justin and Dave,
Thanks for your responses; they match the majority of the information on the Net (and it's against the law to post something false on the Internet...right?!)

Riddle me this, Batman: Why do pins like, both officer and enlisted, Surface Warfare and the Submarine Warfare pins not have a foul anchor. I read one post that the foul anchor symbolizes that the wearer is not a sailor. They may supervise or command sailors but they do not do a sailor's job. In reference to Surface Warfare, as I understand it from my Navy friends, they "drive" the ship so I suppose they are sailors.

If you will notice, the Marine Corps emblem does have a foul anchor and I have been told, in colorful Marine-speak, that, in no way, are Marines Sailors!

As if you didn't notice, the subject of Naval insignia and this this particular subject, fascinates this old tanker!

Wiley

[Justin B.]

The fouled anchor is just a fairly generic nautical symbol. It turns up in a lot of naval insignia, but it doesn't have to be in every one.

 

As for the fouled anchor meaning one is "not a sailor," I would point out that some of the saltiest sailors of all, the warrant bosuns, have worn crossed fouled anchors for over 130 years.

 

Justin B.

[sigma9r]

Yeah, I thought the "not a sailor" post was pretty much out there. I mentioned that to a retired master chief and I thought he was going to rip my head off!

 

Thanks for your input,

 

Wiley

[MastersMate]

Sometimes the written description or specification is not what it seems to be. Take the Coast Guard CPO anchor, a foul anchor with the shield on the shank and perpendicular to the stock. All the illustrations show the nice vertical anchor with the shield and the chain passing around the end of the stock, passing under the shield and then ranged around the bill of the fluke, along the underside of the arms and ending at the bill of the opposite fluke. A foul anchor. Hmmmmm

 

The old fashion anchor appears to be flat when presented as an illustration or insignia. In real usage, the stock and arms are at right angles, presenting a cross shape. Look at the illustration of the CG CPO anchor and you'll note that when the stock is twisted into position for use as an anchor the cable is not foul but actually arranged for the anchor to be lowered and not fouled by the cable.

 

Whoever back in the 1908 Revenue Cutter Service designed this insignia, did it from a seamans perspective, and did not foul the anchor, but made it appear to be to meet the written description..

 

 

[sigma9r]

Does anybody know the symbolism of the foul anchor? The military doesn't do anything without some kind of symbolism!