Merchant Marine vs. Maritime Service Sleeve Devices

[MrStiv]

I do not know why I have such a difficult time getting my head around the U.S. Maritime Service and the Merchant Marine, but anyway....

 

Here is a pair of sleeve devices for a Line Officer. One is wreathed, the other is plain, and one thing I've read over and over is that USMS insignia were wreathed.

 

Can someone tell me which is worn by which service, or if they were worn by both, or...well, anything? I apologize in advance for my thickness on this topic.

[MastersMate]

The Merchant Marine is an all encompassing term the describe companies that operate the commercial ships that carry out the sea borne trade of the country. It can include companies the operate container ships, tankers, towboat companies that move barges, ferry boats across NY harbor or ferries that operate in Alaska. The dinner cruise boat in Honolulu, to the 'booze cruise' sightseeing boats in Boston Harbor. There company work clothing can run the gamut from dress T shirts and shorts, to dress blue or white or khaki, navy style uniforms. If they require a company seagoing type uniforms they generally follow a system of sleeve stripes designating employment position. Four stripes for Captain, three stripes for Chief Mate, two stripes for Second Mate and one stripe for Third Mate. A vertical foul anchor designates deck officers, a propeller for engineer officers, crossed quill pens for Purser Dept, and a crescent for the Stewards Dept...

 

The US Maritime Service was a federal government agency that was established before WW2 to provide for the training of merchant seamen and officers. They followed a navy like ranking system for both their officer and rated personnel ... That service had defined ranking structure. The US Merchant Marine Academy is the last relic of that wartime organization.

 

A lot more to it, but that's the nutshell version.

 

When needed for a particular job, my uniform has four sleeve stripes with the foul anchor above the stripes. Six gold buttons with a foul anchor impressed on them. The cap device is a vertical foul anchor, with the wreath around it, and a 1/2' gold chin strap. Many other times it consisted of my " Led Zeppelin" T shirt and Levi's and a ball cap with scrambled eggs. The mark of authority..

 

Try this link for background info..

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3115261;view=1up;seq=1

[MastersMate]

A bit more from a 1940 USMS publication.

 

 

[MrStiv]

Thank you MasterMate, that was the clearest and most concise explanation I've read.

 

But the question remains, why is one device wreathed and the other is not?

[MastersMate]

Just my opinion, I think it was a matter of design. It represents a corps device like the ones used by the naval services. This corps consisted of merchant marine officers and trainers in a specific organization with a military type ranking system.

[MrStiv]

Thanks for the input MastersMate!

 

After a lot of reading, I came away with the impression that the wreath was used officers in the Maritime Service itself (there's a picture of the Deputy Superintendent of the USMMA wearing a wreathed device) and non-wreath by those serving in the Merchant Marine. Obviously, one can be an officer on a Merchant Marine vessel without being a member of the U.S. Maritime Service, so that led me to conclude that the wreath was reserved for USMS personnel....or it would also include Merchant Mariners who attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy as well, since that is run by the USMS?

 

One thing I have noticed: the only wreathed device I can find currently available is the vertical fouled anchor for Deck officers....

 

And....do you have any idea what the difference is between a silver and a gold crescent moon device? Is it just a matter of company policy (i.e., they could have dayglo orange if they wanted), or does it signify something?

 

I'd be happy to let it go with what I've got but unfortunately it's my job to delineate this stuff clearly, and this is ruining my Friday ;-)

[MastersMate]

Another photo to make your Friday .. Cadet sleeve device from the Academy. Appears they had their own specific sleeve device for those connected with the MM Academy. No definitive info on the crescent.

 

 

[MrStiv]

How many colors did that device come in?

[senhoragua]

As a means of identification: ATS/TC-WD wore silver cook/steward insignia. The U.S. Maritime Service and general Merchant Marine personnel wore gold steward insignia – following the U.S. Navy precedent.

I meandered on the subject here:
http://ianewatts.org/shipboard-organization-and-stewards/

[senhoragua]

Another photo to make your Friday .. Cadet sleeve device from the Academy. Appears they had their own specific sleeve device for those connected with the MM Academy. No definitive info on the crescent.

 

 

On the far left photograph, the fellow in the foreground is sporting the cuff insignia of a U.S. Maritime Commission training cadre.

 

Early on, before the elaborate class and rank system was developed after the installation of the USMC Cadet Corps at Kings Point, Cadets (not cadet-midshipmen at this point) wore shoulder boards without stripes, just a U.S. Maritime Commission shield. The cadet-midshipman to the far left is wearing that shield on his cuffs. The shield was later replaced with an embroidered version of the U.S. Merchant Marine identification badge.