How are these Navy ratings worn

[Pack Rat]

Hey gang,

The Navy has so many uniform types, I'm a bit confused.

What uniform would these be worn with? I think they are the the poly rip-stop type.

One seems to be more "navy" blue than the other. Could the lighter blue be Coast Guard?





Thank you in advance for the help.

-D

[Salvage Sailor]

These First Class Petty Officer (E-6) USN 'Crows' are worn on the left sleeve of a workjacket, that's why there is no rate on them.

 

See this previous forum topic for details and photos

[Lee Ragan]

We wore those on the dark blue working shirt back in the early 70's. I forget the official name of the pull over shirt, but it took the place of the old dungaree shirt with it's iron-on crows. You trimmed off any stripes you didn't need just like the blue & white rating badges.

[Salvage Sailor]

We wore those on the dark blue working shirt back in the early 70's. I forget the official name of the pull over shirt, but it took the place of the old dungaree shirt with it's iron-on crows. You trimmed off any stripes you didn't need just like the blue & white rating badges.

 

That was the Utility Shirt, which was soon after banished from a sailor's seabag. They were made from rayon/nylon etc plastic fibers which tended to melt when exposed to flame or hot machinery & engine parts. Also, if the jumper was not tucked in (which was loose fitting, not tapered) it had a bad habit of being grabbed by whirling motors, turbines, generators etc. and would yank you into the machinery. Not a good thing.

 

I kept two of them and still have them. Here's a photo of one without a 'crow' (which would be the lighter blue unrated crow). I have another one around here somewhere with a First Class crow on it. I'll post a photo when I come across it again.

[T-Bone]

That was the Utility Shirt, which was soon after banished from a sailor's seabag. They were made from rayon/nylon etc plastic fibers which tended to melt when exposed to flame or hot machinery & engine parts. Also, if the jumper was not tucked in (which was loose fitting, not tapered) it had a bad habit of being grabbed by whirling motors, turbines, generators etc. and would yank you into the machinery. Not a good thing.

 

I kept two of them and still have them. Here's a photo of one without a 'crow' (which would be the lighter blue unrated crow). I have another one around here somewhere with a First Class crow on it. I'll post a photo when I come across it again.

 

I am going to go back to this thread with a question about the rough textured iron on PO insignia. Not the flat for the shirt, I know about those. These are like a rough black rubber iron on.

 

Any Clues?

 

T

[sigsaye]

I am going to go back to this thread with a question about the rough textured iron on PO insignia. Not the flat for the shirt, I know about those. These are like a rough black rubber iron on.

 

Any Clues?

 

T

What's your question? At one time or another, I have worn all of them. They were for the blue chambray shirts, came out in the late 1960s/early 1970s. I personally did not like them and prefered the iron on patch style (used at the same time, interchangeably). Some times the iron on transfer type would get too hot, and crack and split the fabric of the shirt sleeve.

 

They came as PO1 crows, and you cut them off. You could tell the new PO1s, as each sheet of crows also had instructions printed with the same stuff as the insignia, just below the last chevron. If you did not cut this off (including the dotted line seperating the crow from the instructions), and ironed over them, they would transfer ont your sleeve. Always good for a laugh. There were also color iron on transfers in the late 60s with a white crow and red chevrons for use with the blue working jacket and eventually the working jumper that Salvage Sailor has posted.

 

Steve Hesson

[T-Bone]

What's your question? At one time or another, I have worn all of them. They were for the blue chambray shirts, came out in the late 1960s/early 1970s. I personally did not like them and prefered the iron on patch style (used at the same time, interchangeably). Some times the iron on transfer type would get too hot, and crack and split the fabric of the shirt sleeve.

 

They came as PO1 crows, and you cut them off. You could tell the new PO1s, as each sheet of crows also had instructions printed with the same stuff as the insignia, just below the last chevron. If you did not cut this off (including the dotted line seperating the crow from the instructions), and ironed over them, they would transfer ont your sleeve. Always good for a laugh. There were also color iron on transfers in the late 60s with a white crow and red chevrons for use with the blue working jacket and eventually the working jumper that Salvage Sailor has posted.

 

Steve Hesson

 

Thanks Steve, um I mean Chief.

 

I was thinking hard on just PMing you when I found these, along with a whole bag of the Iron on ones (both types, with little line and w/o). I had never seen the TEXTURED before and if it had not been in the Vanguard baggie I think I would have passed it up as a novelty patch from the 1970's.

 

I need to PM you about a middy but will do that in the AM

 

Thanks Again,

 

T-Bone

[sigsaye]

Thanks Steve, um I mean Chief.

 

I was thinking hard on just PMing you when I found these, along with a whole bag of the Iron on ones (both types, with little line and w/o). I had never seen the TEXTURED before and if it had not been in the Vanguard baggie I think I would have passed it up as a novelty patch from the 1970's.

 

I need to PM you about a middy but will do that in the AM

 

Thanks Again,

 

T-Bone

T-Bone, what's the "Middy" question?

 

Steve Hesson

[Salvage Sailor]

That was the Utility Shirt, which was soon after banished from a sailor's seabag. They were made from rayon/nylon etc plastic fibers which tended to melt when exposed to flame or hot machinery & engine parts. Also, if the jumper was not tucked in (which was loose fitting, not tapered) it had a bad habit of being grabbed by whirling motors, turbines, generators etc. and would yank you into the machinery. Not a good thing.

 

I kept two of them and still have them. Here's a photo of one without a 'crow' (which would be the lighter blue unrated crow). I have another one around here somewhere with a First Class crow on it. I'll post a photo when I come across it again.

 

 

If any of the USN collectors are looking for one of these for their collection, here's an ebay link to a 1971 short sleeve utility jumper, with the proper E-6 crow, as of 03/06/2015

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/U-S-NAVY-SHIRT-WITH-ARM-PATCH-/321688280459?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae61d9d8b

[Salvage Sailor]

Photo 2

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Photo 3

 

[RustyCanteen]

Just to add to the discussion, the dark background rate seen in both posts #1 and #10 are shade 3446. The first official jacket rates were worn on the working blue utility jackets introduced in the late 1950s. Both the jackets and the rates were of a more medium blue. In the late 1960s the Navy began serious development of a new 'modern' working uniform to replace the chambrays and dungarees. Due to management and budgetary issues, the uniform proposal did not become reality for a few years, and in 1971 contracts were let for the new uniforms.

 

 

The four main components of the uniform consisted of the Jacket, Utility; Cap, Utility, Cotton/Poly-Poplin; Jumpers, Utility (long and short sleeve); and finally the Trousers, Utility, Dark Blue. The cap, jacket, and trousers were all manufactured in the 'new' dark shade 3446, while the utility jumpers were made in a light blue shade. Due to some safety issues with the pull-over jumpers, a full-button shirt was adopted circa 1975. From 1971 through 1977, the 'official' rate worn on both the Jacket, Utility and Jumpers, Utility was that of shade 3446. All official jacket & utility jumper rates consist of rank only; unofficial 'theater' made rank will sometimes include the specialty rate as well.

 

Unofficial rate for a MM3c.

 

 

Once again the Navy was reconsidering the new uniform and support was leaning behind resurrecting the chambrays and dungarees. By 1977 early trials were conducted of the revamped dungarees, and once adopted the Jacket Utility was changed from the dark shade 3446, to a medium blue shade 3356. Although some manufacturers evidently retained the now obsolete nomenclature of Jacket, Utility, Dark Blue well into the 1980s. With the change to 3356, the rates were also changed to match. I've seen some pre-1970 rates on 1980s jackets since the colors were basically the same.

 

'New' Shade 3356 on left; 1971-1978 shade 3446 on right. Note the 3356 rate on the left.

 

 

 

 

And that, in a nutshell, is the story.

RC