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USN/USCG Rare, Non-bullion, Rating Badges


dpcsdan
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My WWII era USCG ratings. Note the variations with and without diamonds, as well as the different letter styles.

Port Security Patrolman (1943-1948)
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Transportationman (1943-194?)
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e4544c9dea36dbc38b3dfefec30eb59a.jpg
 

Chemical Warfare Specialist (1943-194?)
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Dog and Horse Handler (1943-1955?)
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Chief Underwater Mechanic, post-1926 era applied chevrons of black twill material on white background. (1948 era for this particular specialty mark), earlier eagle and chevrons would be navy blue material and thread for white rating badges after 1926 and before 1948.

UMC_dds.jpg

UMC_dds_back.jpg

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On 11/8/2020 at 12:18 PM, dpcsdan said:

Chief Aviation Pilot in Gray and packaged.

 

AP_Gray_Gemsco.jpg

Love this Chief Aviation Pilot rate with gold wings Dan. Difficult to find.

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At first glance most would believe this rating badge is for a Chief Storekeeper.

Actually, the Storekeeper rating did not exist until 1916.

This rating badge was for Chief Yeoman from 1905-1916 (*until 1913 in red chevrons on white background).

USN Yeoman rating history is shown in the below photograph.

Also, note, truly rare chief Yeoman, 1893 on blue material.(Thanks, CTI1610, beautiful find)

 

Chief Yeoman 1894-1913 shown.jpg

Chief Yeoman 1894-1913 shown_r.jpg

Short History of the USN Yeoman Rating.jpg

Chief Yeoman 1893.jpg

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This post is the opposite of a rare/scarce non-bullion rating badge.

In my 30 years of collecting USN rating badges the most common chief petty officer rating specialty I've encountered is that of Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate. Much more common that even another two CPO rating badges I run across routinely, the chief Boatswain's Mate and chief Yeoman.

 

__MostCommon_AvMachinistsMate.jpg

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53 minutes ago, dpcsdan said:

This post is the opposite of a rare/scarce non-bullion rating badge.

In my 30 years of collecting USN rating badges the most common chief petty officer rating specialty I've encountered is that of Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate. Much more common that even another two CPO rating badges I run across routinely, the chief Boatswain's Mate and chief Yeoman.

 

__MostCommon_AvMachinistsMate.jpg

 

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There was some prior discussion about WAVES rating badges.

I took a look and was surprised at how many WAVES rating badges I have in my collection.

A couple of the Specialist/Emergency Service Ratings were WAVES specific.

 

WAVES.jpg

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WAVES medical, plus a couple of comments on WAVES and rating badges.

During WWI (Yeomanetts) and early WWII (WAVES) wore full (male) sized USN rating badges.

I have yet to find an "applied chevrons" WAVES rating badge. All have been embroidered chevrons. Anyone else find this to be the case?

 

WAVES-Med.jpg

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Specialist U was WAVES specific (Utility (V-10) Stewardess) 1943; Utility (V-10) 1943-48. In addition, the majority I've run across of Specialist Q (Communications Security; Communications Specialist; Cryptographer) have been WAVES rating badges, but not singularly WAVES usage.

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Curious to know which of the Emergency ratings were wave specific? 

While some ratings (I.e. jobs) were WAVES specific, I am not aware of any specialty marks (I.e. icons on patches) that were unique to WAVES.


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I have yet to find an "applied chevrons" WAVES rating badge. All have been embroidered chevrons. Anyone else find this to be the case?

WAVES rates with applied chevrons exist, I have seen photos of a few, and own two. This one is dated, I believe 1943, or maybe 1945.

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Thanks, David.

I've added to my files.

What is the specialty of your second one?

Does that WAVES Radarman mark look modified to you? Radioman with added arrow?

 

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50 minutes ago, dpcsdan said:

Thanks, David.

I've added to my files.

What is the specialty of your second one?

Does that WAVES Radarman mark look modified to you? Radioman with added arrow?

 

At first glance, when I blew the age up, I was thinking someone took an old RM crow and hand embroidered an arrow on it. But then I noticed that the Radarman  rate only had 3 sparks, while the RM, had 4. The WAVE Radarman only has 3 sparks. Don’t see where one was removed. It looks jammed together because of the sharp angle of the chevrons  I 

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1 hour ago, sigsaye said:

At first glance, when I blew the age up, I was thinking someone took an old RM crow and hand embroidered an arrow on it. But then I noticed that the Radarman  rate only had 3 sparks, while the RM, had 4. The WAVE Radarman only has 3 sparks. Don’t see where one was removed. It looks jammed together because of the sharp angle of the chevrons  I 

 

Thank you for the feedback. That is why I offered the full size Radarman and the WAVE Radioman for reference. From my research, this rate has an interesting story, though it was purchased without fanfare.

 

From what I can tell, it is actually a SPAR rate. It is my understanding the Navy did not train any women as Radarmen, though the Coast Guard did. An original USCG record from April 1946 listed 12 SPAR Radarmen billets during WWII, with possibly only 1 filled by a Radarman 1c.

 

As we know the specialty mark for this rating changed in 1947, so it is not inconceivable that only one person in the history of the US military was authorized to wear this patch (reduced size Radarman 1c). 

 

Does anyone else have one of these patches?

 

USCG-SPARS-1.jpg

USCG-SPARS-2.jpg

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1 hour ago, David Minton said:

 

Thank you for the feedback. That is why I offered the full size Radarman and the WAVE Radioman for reference. From my research, this rate has an interesting story, though it was purchased without fanfare.

 

From what I can tell, it is actually a SPAR rate. It is my understanding the Navy did not train any women as Radarmen, though the Coast Guard did. An original USCG record from April 1946 listed 12 SPAR Radarmen billets during WWII, with possibly only 1 filled by a Radarman 1c.

 

As we know the specialty mark for this rating changed in 1947, so it is not inconceivable that only one person in the history of the US military was authorized to wear this patch (reduced size Radarman 1c). 

 

Does anyone else have one of these patches?

 

USCG-SPARS-1.jpg

USCG-SPARS-2.jpg

The first class would have been trimmed down for the 2nd class and 3rd class rates so while still not a lot  it wasn't only one.  In addition, I have a specialty mark dated 1942 on the back but the rate didn't come out until 1943.  so maybe crows were made ahead of time and rates applied as needed.

 

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