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Straight vs curved naval shoulder boards


BigBrother
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I’ve just started learning about this. I’ve purchased a few WWII ones on eBay for reenactment and I keep reading that flat ones are period-correct. But they all seem to have some curve to them (due to age, as I’ve been told). I’m about to image search, but how big really is the difference between the old and new? And were WWII ones really completely flat? What would look more or less correct? Thanks!

 

EDIT- there’s also another thing I’ve never been clear about, but I think I now have it: is the curve along the length or width of the boards? It seems like the width.

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The shoulder marks (boards) of WWII were flat.  However, to throw a bit of gas on the flame.  Here is a picture from the August 1942 edition of the SIDEBOY.  The SIDEBOY was the class book of the Naval Reserve Midshipman School in New York. This was of the commanding officer, Capt John K Richards, USN.

 

You can clearly see that his shoulder boards are curved. Anomaly? Did he bend his? Don't know.

 

How many other curved shoulder marks have I seen in pictures from WWII, none that I can recall, but may have to look.

curved 1942.jpg

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Curved ones do show up as a private purchase option (because they looked and wore better) during WWII, they are just pretty uncommon because it wasn't authorized. 

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