USMCWR - was single rank worn? If so, when?

[Quest Master]

Just purchased a WWII USMCWR dress uniform shirt in the for sale area...and it has a single corporal stripe on the left sleeve, but nothing on the right. Was the wear of only rank insignia official, and if so, what were the dates of wear? Thank you!

[doyler]

Dress uniform picture with one rank chevron

 

[memphis_belle]

My USMCWR khaki shirt also came with only one chevron. I'd like to learn why

[BEAST]

The single chevron was worn as a wartime measure due to a shortage of insignia. Here is a USMCWR uniform in my collection that has both the single chevron AND the white discharge diamond. The vet entered active duty in 1944 and was discharged in 1945.

 

http://indianavets.wix.com/indiana-at-war#!usmc/cv4d

[Quest Master]

Interesting. What is the cited regulation that states the official transition to this wartime measure for insignia shortage. I'm very curious about this. In all of these years of WWII history, I've never seen this. Not trying to be a pain in the rear, but there has to be an official regulation stating the wear of only one rank insignia.

[usmc-collector]

Interesting. What is the cited regulation that states the official transition to this wartime measure for insignia shortage. I'm very curious about this. In all of these years of WWII history, I've never seen this. Not trying to be a pain in the rear, but there has to be an official regulation stating the wear of only one rank insignia.

 

LETTER OF INSTRUCTION NO. 198

9 September 1942

 

To: All commanding Officers

All Accountable Officers

 

Subject: Issue and wear of chevrons.

 

1. Chevrons will be issued on the basis of one per garment requiring them. The single chevron will be worn on the left sleeve in the manner now prescribed in Uniform Regulations, U.S. Marine Corps 1937, paragraph 220.

 

2. Enlisted men wearing chevrons, who are promoted, will turn in to the issuing officer their old chevrons at the time they draw chevrons for their new rank. Issuing officers will issue all serviceable chevrons so recovered.

 

T. Holcomb

 

I hope it helps you. JAROSLAV

[BEAST]

 

LETTER OF INSTRUCTION NO. 198

9 September 1942

 

To: All commanding Officers

All Accountable Officers

 

Subject: Issue and wear of chevrons.

 

1. Chevrons will be issued on the basis of one per garment requiring them. The single chevron will be worn on the left sleeve in the manner now prescribed in Uniform Regulations, U.S. Marine Corps 1937, paragraph 220.

 

2. Enlisted men wearing chevrons, who are promoted, will turn in to the issuing officer their old chevrons at the time they draw chevrons for their new rank. Issuing officers will issue all serviceable chevrons so recovered.

 

T. Holcomb

 

I hope it helps you. JAROSLAV

Thanks Jaroslav!

[doyler]

Yes thanks for posting.I wasnt able to find my reprint of the manual I have but was always told it was practiced wear of one chevron as an wartime economy.This also explains why you may see chevron(s) with more than one set of machine sewn stitching holes in the egde.

[Quest Master]

Oh that is very interesting! 9 September 1942, that would mean that no Marines should be wearing dual rank insignia for the duration of the war, which is contrary to period photographs.

 

Since that is a transcribed document, anyone know where the original one is actually published? I did a search for that specific Letter of Instruction, and the only reference I could find was this forum. I'm sure I am not the only who will be asking this, so it may be helpful to publish the link to the actual document and where it can be referenced or a copy of the actual document.

[MasonK]

Thanks for sharing this info. I never knew, and sure enough, one of the USMCWR uniforms I have contains a single chevron on the left sleeve.

 

A second, contains chevron's on both sleeves. My guess is there was an available supply, or the restriction was lifted at some point?

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/138086-usmcwr-uniform-grouping/

 

 

[MasonK]

[usmc-collector]

Oh that is very interesting! 9 September 1942, that would mean that no Marines should be wearing dual rank insignia for the duration of the war, which is contrary to period photographs.

 

Since that is a transcribed document, anyone know where the original one is actually published? I did a search for that specific Letter of Instruction, and the only reference I could find was this forum. I'm sure I am not the only who will be asking this, so it may be helpful to publish the link to the actual document and where it can be referenced or a copy of the actual document.

 

for further reference see copy of pages from Guide to Administration U.S. Marine Corps 1943:

 

1) page 97 - Letter of instruction index

2) page 598 - reference in text to Letter of Instruction NO. 198 and picture of single chevrons on uniform

3) copy of article from Leatherneck magazine; Aug 1943 concerning single chevron wear

 

JAROSLAV

 

[Alec]

I'll throw a monkey wrench into this. One chevron on "right sleeve" for at least one rank started in 1926.

[Alec]

...

[teufelhunde.ret]

... and another monkey wrench, none of these misc letters of inst and other such non sense precluded a Marine from making a private purchase and wearing both left and right chevrons. They may have come out of boot camp with one chevron, but, once in the fleet the Company First Sergeant would have fixed that problem!

[Quest Master]

AWESOME!!! Thank you very much gentlemen! I'm sure I won't be the last one to ask this question and now it is here - and findable via google (which is where I started). Excellent work! Bravo-Zulu!

[Brig]

... and another monkey wrench, none of these misc letters of inst and other such non sense precluded a Marine from making a private purchase and wearing both left and right chevrons. They may have come out of boot camp with one chevron, but, once in the fleet the Company First Sergeant would have fixed that problem!

Agreed. I suspect many a 1stSgt ordered his guys to ensure they had 2...

 

Most rank is private purchase, and I suspect it has been that way for a long time. I was issued my first set of PFC chevrons in 2005, and they were on a 90s dated card. I have not seen chevrons issued since. I work at the same schoolhouse where I was issued those ranks 11 years ago, and on the event one of the students is promoted, he has to purchase them at the PX

[SgtMaddoxUSMC]

In regards to Alec's post 13 -

-1912 - Uniform Regulations order that Lance Corporals wear a single chevron on their right sleeve. The first time this rank is mentioned in the twentieth century is in the 1912 addition to the 1908 Uniform Regulations. It isn't until the 1912 regs that it is first illustrated.
-1914 - (sometime) the rank of Private First Class is established with no rank insignia. (If anyone has documentation on the establishment of this rank please contact me!)
-1922 - PFC is given the insignia of a pair of crossed rifles. This caused a problem with differentiating PFC's from Drummers who wore insignia of a pair of crossed drumsticks which even up close, looked very similar to the PFC's crossed rifles.
-1926 - To better recognize the PFC, the single chevron (which was previously worn by LCpl) was re-designated for Privates First Class (although unlike LCpl, it was to be worn on both sleeves). Instead, LCpl was given the same two chevron insignia as Corporal but again, only to be worn on the right sleeve.
~1930, the LCpl rank is abolished and doesn't reappear again until 1959 when our current rank structure took effect where it is denoted by a single chevron with crossed rifles underneath.

[WWII Legacy Girl]

Here is a USMCWR uniform I had (sold now) but it also had only one stripe on the sleeve. They did that to conserve materials/because of a rank shortage in the war.

 

[SgtMaddoxUSMC]

Ellie, that's a great looking uniform! Someday I want to get one to display with the cover which I already have! I also have the green pisscutter for this uniform.