WWII Navy buttons

[MarkM]

Here are some of the buttons I am trying to identify. They were with some NNC items obtained at an estate sale. The larger brass one is about 7/8" in diameter (Supreme Quality) and the smaller one is only about 9/16" in diameter (Gemsco New York). The gray plastic one (is this Bakelite?) has me stumped. It is about 13/16" in diameter with no markings. I tried to find out more about it but have struck out. Thanks in advance! Mark

 

[David Minton]

The gray button is 35 line (7/8”) intended for the working gray dress that was introduced after WWII, 1947 if I recall. This dress replaced the one introduced for WAVES that had a side zipper closure, rather than buttons on the front. I have one of the dresses in my collection, as well as a box of spare buttons.

 

 

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[MarkM]

Thank you David - that's a big help. Have a great Thanksgiving!

[Salvage Sailor]

The gray button is 35 line (7/8”) intended for the working gray dress that was introduced after WWII, 1947 if I recall. This dress replaced the one introduced for WAVES that had a side zipper closure, rather than buttons on the front. I have one of the dresses in my collection, as well as a box of spare buttons.

 

 

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Study: USN WWII Gray Uniforms 1943-1949 Examples in use posted here

 

USN Grey Buttons

[MarkM]

Thanks Anchor's Aweigh - these buttons look like what I have except these look almost black rather than the fairly light gray that I have? I have looked high and low for similar actual gray buttons and have come up empty. Surely there are some out there? David (above) believes they are from the gray working NNC dress but I've not been able to find any photos that have these large gray buttons. Mark

[Salvage Sailor]

That's just the flash from my photo, they're the same buttons

[MarkM]

Great - thanks. After reading the article in your first post it looks the gray uniform was only used between 1943-1949. Would that same time frame also apply to gray dresses worn by the NNC? Sorry for all the questions but I'm just wanting to get my listing right. Thanks again!

[David Minton]

Great - thanks. After reading the article in your first post it looks the gray uniform was only used between 1943-1949. Would that same time frame also apply to gray dresses worn by the NNC? Sorry for all the questions but I'm just wanting to get my listing right. Thanks again!

Sorry, just saw your question. If I recall, there are three types of plastic 35line USN buttons you can come across:

 

Black: worn on men's service gray uniform (1943-49)

Navy Blue: WAVES enlisted (1942-?)

Light Gray: WAVES working gray uniform (1947-?)

 

If curious I can provide photos; I own samples of all three, including the correct uniforms.

 

There are also similar black plastic buttons worn with service gray uniform by USCG and USMS. I assume there are also USCGS, but have never seen them. With a slightly different look are 35 line black plastic buttons for USPHS. All of these were only used from 1943-49, and went out of regulation with the end of the wear out period for service gray (assuming they followed the USN schedule, but the other services may have been different, I have not investigated).

 

But, to the best of my knowledge the light gray button originally posted is for a post WWII women's working gray uniform dress. I have a few dozen of these buttons, along with one of the dresses in my collection. I also have a WWII WAVES dress, which closes with a zipper on the side, rather than button on the front.

 

I am not sure when, but at some point NNC nurses were allowed to wear WAVES working gray dresses instead of NNC regulation white dresses in areas where white was impractical. If I recall NNC was incorporated into the main Navy around 1948, at which time NNC distinctive uniforms were abolished in favor of the WAVES style worn by other female officers.

 

Note: I apologize if I got some of the dates or names of the uniforms wrong. Doing this from memory.