Tonomachi Posted November 5, 2022 Share #1 Posted November 5, 2022 I picked these up at the flea market this morning real cheap. I thought they were USN shoulder boards but when I got them home I tried to look them up and I believe they are Second Engineer US Maritime Service shoulder boards. They are made by GEMSCO. I was wondering how you date something like this and what are the uncut bullion propellers maybe collar insignia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted November 5, 2022 Author Share #2 Posted November 5, 2022 I just noticed that each shoulder board has a different button. Could one be peacetime merchant marines and the other wartime US Maritime Service? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted November 5, 2022 Share #3 Posted November 5, 2022 46 minutes ago, Tonomachi said: I just noticed that each shoulder board has a different button. Could one be peacetime merchant marines and the other wartime US Maritime Service? The buttons on the shoulder boards are irrelevant USMS they came with bout, depending on availability. The propeller patches are a pair of sleeve insignia for the dress blue jacket. They go over the tank lace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted November 5, 2022 Author Share #4 Posted November 5, 2022 Thanks for this information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted November 5, 2022 Share #5 Posted November 5, 2022 I thought USMS shoulder boards had a wreath around the Engineer device? https://ianewatts.org/usms-shoulder-boards/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted November 5, 2022 Share #6 Posted November 5, 2022 Not USMS Those are MSTS Shoulder Boards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted November 6, 2022 Author Share #7 Posted November 6, 2022 Thanks for clarifying this so the shoulder boards are Military Sea Transportation Service not United States Maritime Service. This helps date these shoulder boards between 1950 to 1965 per an article I found on the Internet. https://ianewatts.org/msts-uniforms/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted November 6, 2022 Share #8 Posted November 6, 2022 Correctimundo, Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), after the United States Maritime Service (USMS) and prior to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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