Study: USN WWII Gray Uniforms 1943-1949

[sigsaye]

10 minutes ago, 29navy said:

Yeah, it took me a while to find it.  It is under Information Systems Technician.  Weird way to organize it. doesn't even have a separate section for Radioman. 

Well, glad to hear it’s a real deal. I love learning new things. 

[Justin B.]

I have a copy of a BuPers Manual with about 30 changes for RT to ETM and ART to AETM entered in ink. The change order is dated 17 Jan 1946 and a yeoman (I assume) has made a note "Changes made 12/5/46"!

[Salvage Sailor]

On 10/22/2022 at 7:06 AM, Justin B. said:

I have a copy of a BuPers Manual with about 30 changes for RT to ETM and ART to AETM entered in ink. The change order is dated 17 Jan 1946 and a yeoman (I assume) has made a note "Changes made 12/5/46"!

 

That's when my father entered the ETP, he said he was in one of the first ET classes, converted from Radioman (he was a HAM radio nut who built his first station in a New Mexico chicken coop in the 1930's).  After being rated, he was assigned to the old battleship USS MISSISSIPPI, then designated as (E-AG-128), which had been converted to a radar gunnery test bed with a full electronics suite.  He reported to newly minted USNA Ensign James Earl Carter, his Electronics Division officer and served with him until he was sent to Radio Marina, Asmara, Eritrea as the LPO (ET1) of Naval Communications Unit No. Three (NCU-3) in Africa on occupation duty where he served until 1952.

 

NCU-3 Radio Marina, Asmara, Eritrea - later redesignated as Kagnew Station

 

 

23 JUL 1947 - 14 JUN 1948—Duty aboard USS Mississippi (E-AG128)

 

USS MISSISSIPPI (AG-128) ex-BB-41 where he served aboard with Ensign James Earl 'Jimmy' Carter, his Division Officer

 

Unfortunately for history, I've never found any photos of JEC in a Gray Uniform...

[sigsaye]

22 minutes ago, Justin B. said:

I have a copy of a BuPers Manual with about 30 changes for RT to ETM and ART to AETM entered in ink. The change order is dated 17 Jan 1946 and a yeoman (I assume) has made a note "Changes made 12/5/46"!

I hated doing “Pen & Ink” changes. We had to do them to our signal pubs. They would come in through the Ships Office. The YNs would send them to the OPS Noss, who would eventually pass them to the COMO, who would give them to the RMs, who eventually figured out it was for the OSs, who would then realize that it was REALLY for the Signal Bridge and hand them off to us. We’d take a look at the changes and see if there was anything “Hot”. Then stick it in a desk drawer, to be entered when we had time/on a rainy day. 🤣👍🏻⚓️

[Salvage Sailor]

Here ya go Steve, and no smudges eh?

 

We had to make changes to the Comm, Signal, and Notice to Mariner's Pubs & the DMA Charts with this Rapidograph india ink pen.  I still have my original set somewhere around here.  (Salvage Sailor is an OS)

 

 

 

 

Still no Grays in this post...

[sigsaye]

23 minutes ago, Salvage Sailor said:

Here ya go Steve, and no smudges eh?

 

We had to make changes to the Comm, Signal, and Notice to Mariner's Pubs & the DMA Charts with this Rapidograph india ink pen.  I still have my original set somewhere around here.  (Salvage Sailor is an OS)

 

 

 

 

Still no Grays in this post...

We just used a standard “Skillcraft” pen. 

[Salvage Sailor]

6 minutes ago, sigsaye said:

We just used a standard “Skillcraft” pen. 

 

Of course, halyards require thick fingers and callouses

[sigsaye]

21 minutes ago, Salvage Sailor said:

 

Of course, halyards require thick fingers and callouses

Those office tools were much too complicated for us 🤣

 

getting back to Gray Uniforms. I was at a street fair in Bowling Green Kentucky a few years ago. Standing in line for some food, a teenage girl was behind me. She was wearing a Gray CPO combination cap. The anchor was gon, replaced with a purple plastic flower. It took everything I had not to try and buy it from her, ( Old Guy talking to Teenage girl). 

[sigsaye]

Not sure if these Officers are wearing Grays or Greens. But cool photo. 

[Brian Keith]

Grey CPO Aviation Radioman

Here is a nice grey uniform worn by CPO Aviation Radioman, Harry Taylor during WW II. Information from his son indicates he entered service in 1943, went to radio-electronics school, then became an instructor At Kessler Field in Gulfport Mississippi. Apparently he never served outside the US. Of note is the grey Honorable Discharge insignia above the right breast pocket.

Thanks for looking!

BKW

Sorry, not sure why the are showing upside down.

[sigsaye]

Chiefs mess, USS Iowa, (BB-61). A couple in grays.   

[67Rally]

30-year Navy veteran, Chief Torpedoman, Henry A. Raffeis. I am in the midst of reviewing his service record for an article about him. He was the Navy's greatest baseball player who was compared to Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner. He participated in the Chicago Cubs 1922 spring training on Catalina Island and refused a contract off by Jack Doyle to play for the team. I played alongside and against stars Bob Meusel and Jimmie Reese as well as  future Hall of Famers including Harry Heilmann and Babe Ruth while he served in the submarine service. 

 

[collectsmedals]

On 10/22/2022 at 1:32 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

23 JUL 1947 - 14 JUN 1948—Duty aboard USS Mississippi (E-AG128)

Interesting that our former Commander-In-Chief appears to be wearing his ribbon bar backwards.

[sigsaye]

Submarine officers at sea. 

[seanmc1114]

Wake Island after the Japanese Surrender on September 4, 1945

LIFE Magazine Archives - Eliot Elisofon Photographer

[seanmc1114]

Crew of PT-216 in Bastia, Corsica - June 1944

LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer

[seanmc1114]

Survivors from USS Indianapolis CA-35 arrive at Apra Harbor, Guam on the Hospital Ship USS Tranquillity AH-14 - August 8, 1945

LIFE Magazine Archives - George Silk Photographer

[seanmc1114]

Petty officer in a gray uniform among sailoer and Marines in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad around 1946.

[sigsaye]

1 hour ago, seanmc1114 said:

Petty officer in a gray uniform among sailoer and Marines in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad around 1946.

The Chief and the PO shooting pool, both in grays. Always thought that was a sharp uniform. The POS cap is pretty “Salty”. Chiefs been around awhile too. 

[seanmc1114]

Commander Jack Dempsey appearing with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby at a celebrity tournament for the PGA servicemen's rehabilitation fund in 1945.

[seanmc1114]

Sailors and civilians with Walter White, leader of the NAACP in 1945.

[sigsaye]

2 May, 1945, Tarrakan. Note the CPO, (my guess by the way he’s standing and sleeve cuffs turned up), is also wearing brown Boondockers. 

[BigBrother]

So here's a question for everyone- I was chatting with some fellow re-enactors at a recent event and started discussing the whole "brown shoe Navy" phenomenon for aviators. Got me thinking- any photographic evidence that this was ever done with the grays? Seems like a horrible color combination, but I wonder if some aviators did it. Thoughts?...

[sigsaye]

6 hours ago, BigBrother said:

So here's a question for everyone- I was chatting with some fellow re-enactors at a recent event and started discussing the whole "brown shoe Navy" phenomenon for aviators. Got me thinking- any photographic evidence that this was ever done with the grays? Seems like a horrible color combination, but I wonder if some aviators did it. Thoughts?...

I’d never say never, but very doubtful. The gray uniform was a working uniform, that got dressed up into a dress uniform ( like khakis). Aviators didn’t wear their brown shoes with blues or whites. In the above photo, the guy wearing grays is wearing them as a full out working uniform. He’s wearing the brown Boondockers because they are appropriate for what he’s doing

[Salvage Sailor]

On 3/1/2010 at 3:30 PM, navyman said:

 

Here's my gray enlisted jumper with 3rd class S which is for shore patrol

 

 

USN Shore Patrol in Greys wearing Jumper