David Minton Posted March 27, 2019 Share #1 Posted March 27, 2019 Recently picked up this single gray shoulder board in an eBay lot, and it has me stumped. It is the size, shape, and construction of a WWII era board, but the corps device looks like Navy Nurse Corps. As far as my research has indicated, the gray NNC uniform didn't accommodate shoulder boards. So, what is it. I thought since it didn't have black lace to indicate rank, it was either a sample, or was for some sort of OCS program. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share #2 Posted March 27, 2019 For reference, from left to right: US Public Health Service ??? Navy Nurse Corps Navy Medical Corps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted March 27, 2019 Share #3 Posted March 27, 2019 The insignia is NNC. Possibly ( and I always hate when others say that ?), NNC Cadet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted March 27, 2019 Share #4 Posted March 27, 2019 Is there a Navy grey uniform for cadets? There must be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share #5 Posted March 27, 2019 The photos I have found of the gray NNC uniform had pin on rank, rather than shoulder boards. http://www.blitzkriegbaby.de/nnc/nnc3b.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share #6 Posted March 27, 2019 Cadet nurse uniforms used soft red shoulder straps, and USPHS used Navy WAVES style uniforms with cuff braid on the gray seersucker uniform. I am stumped as to what this is, other than it is a men's style shoulder board with a Navy Nurse Corps insignia. What is really odd is I can't think of any NNC item that has an embroidered device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted March 27, 2019 The insignia is NNC. Possibly ( and I always hate when others say that ?), NNC Cadet? Did the USN have some sort of OCS for nurses during WWII? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin B. Posted March 27, 2019 Share #8 Posted March 27, 2019 I think this is an example of what we sometimes see in rating badges: With the high wartime demand sometimes manufacturers jumped in with both feet and made "everything in the book," even stuff that wasn't really used. Unlike WAVES, Navy nurses did wear "gold" shoulder boards, so I'm betting that someone took the whole "catalog" of shoulder boards and made gray versions, not knowing that the nurse's gray uniform didn't use them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share #9 Posted March 27, 2019 I think this is an example of what we sometimes see in rating badges: With the high wartime demand sometimes manufacturers jumped in with both feet and made "everything in the book," even stuff that wasn't really used. Unlike WAVES, Navy nurses did wear "gold" shoulder boards, so I'm betting that someone took the whole "catalog" of shoulder boards and made gray versions, not knowing that the nurse's gray uniform didn't use them. Thank you for the suggestion. That was one of my possible conclusions. The NNC did use boards (see example in second post), and I have some rating badges in my collection, such as a Mineman that used the original Mine Assemblyman distinguishing mark as the specialty mark, rather than the real Mineman specialty mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted March 27, 2019 Share #10 Posted March 27, 2019 The photos I have found of the gray NNC uniform had pin on rank, rather than shoulder boards. http://www.blitzkriegbaby.de/nnc/nnc3b.htm . Well, ( insert Sailor Words, inappropriate for civil company). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted March 27, 2019 Share #11 Posted March 27, 2019 There wasn't a grey jacket and skirt combination? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted March 27, 2019 Author Share #12 Posted March 27, 2019 There wasn't a grey jacket and skirt combination? The two sources I reviewed were: U.S. Navy Uniforms and Insignia 1943-1946 (U.S. Navy Uniforms in World War II Series) by Jeff Warner Blitzkrieg Baby website I would love to learn something new. Do you have a source? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin B. Posted March 27, 2019 Share #13 Posted March 27, 2019 There wasn't a grey jacket and skirt combination? No. The WAVES had a gray-striped seersucker dress with a jacket, but the nurses just had the gray double-breasted shirtwaist dress. The 1944 authorizing order can be read here: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/uniforms-usnavy/uniform-regulations0.html In 1946, with grays on the way out, the seersucker uniform was authorized for nurses as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearmon Posted March 28, 2019 Share #14 Posted March 28, 2019 The NNC pin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share #15 Posted March 28, 2019 There wasn't a grey jacket and skirt combination? Cadet Nurses had a gray skirt and jacket, but it didn't use shoulder boards, and if it did, wouldn't be NNC. http://www.blitzkriegbaby.de/cnc/cnc3.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted February 11, 2020 Author Share #16 Posted February 11, 2020 Thought i would update. I showed this to some experienced collectors and the thought is it is probably a manufacturer sample that none had ever seen before. It could actually be unique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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