Post-WW2/Korean War Navy Rates Question

[Polygon]

Hi,

 

I was doing some reading and saw that Navy rates changed after WW2 in 1949 where they were moved to the left sleeve and the eagles faced the rear. I noticed Korean War era Navy jumpers have the eagle facing forward again, and seems like it stayed that way. Is there a specific year where this change was made?

[Justin B.]

In the WW1-WW2 period, the rating badges were worn on the left by everyone except the seaman branch rates (boatswain's mate, quartermaster, gunner's mate etc.), who wore them on the right. In 1941 the regulations specified that the eagle must face forward, so a badge for the left arm had the eagle facing the viewer's left and vice versa.

 

After WW2 in 1948, there was a major restructuring of the enlisted rates. As part of that overhaul, rating badges were standardized on the left sleeve starting in 1949. Use of the old badges was permitted, so for a while, if a seaman branch petty officer shifted his old badge to the left sleeve, the eagle would be facing the wrong way.