llafoe Posted September 8, 2009 Share #1 Posted September 8, 2009 I'm assembling a collection of Navy Radioman Rating Badges. If you have any special examples in your collection that you'd like to share... can you post an image of them here? I used to be able to post Wanted ads on this Forum. I just spent a year in Iraq and am off for 14 months in Afghanistan... does my ability to post disappear after a predetermined absence? Does anyone have any Navy Radioman Rating Badges for sale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainofthe7th Posted September 8, 2009 Share #2 Posted September 8, 2009 Hi, I have a few different rates at home. Nothing spectacular, but i will post when I have a chance. One in particular has very thick embroidery...probably 1.5 to 2 times the thickness of regular embroidery on the rates. My grandfather was a radioman in WWII, so that's where my interest comes from. I'm glad someone else likes it too! Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted September 8, 2009 Share #3 Posted September 8, 2009 Hi, I have a few different rates at home. Nothing spectacular, but i will post when I have a chance. One in particular has very thick embroidery...probably 1.5 to 2 times the thickness of regular embroidery on the rates. My grandfather was a radioman in WWII, so that's where my interest comes from. I'm glad someone else likes it too! Rob Rob, that thick rate sounds like the crows they made during the Seventies when we were all in the CPO style uniforms. Big, thick gastley things that were universally dispised. Most guys would go find crows made on fabric out in town tarher than put those huge gloppy things on their sleeves.Steve Hesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainofthe7th Posted September 8, 2009 Share #4 Posted September 8, 2009 It's a RM 2/c rate, and it is a WWII rate, I guarantee it! It's not sloppy or ugly at all! In fact I like it better than the other issue rates I've seen. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted September 8, 2009 Share #5 Posted September 8, 2009 It's a RM 2/c rate, and it is a WWII rate, I guarantee it! It's not sloppy or ugly at all! In fact I like it better than the other issue rates I've seen. Rob OK, I understand. The ones I am talking about were fully embroidered with a polyester (it was the '70s) thread and a really thick edge. They came in first second and third class because they were much too thick to trim off like the ones we were used to. Made it tough at advancement time as the exchange would inevetibly run out of one grade or the other. Steve Hesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 8, 2009 Share #6 Posted September 8, 2009 Here is a couple of scans. Nothing rare, just a little different color for the summer uniform one. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 8, 2009 Share #7 Posted September 8, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted September 8, 2009 Share #8 Posted September 8, 2009 bill, The "Brown one is bleached out. They would do that over time. It started life blue like the rest. Steve Hesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navyman Posted September 8, 2009 Share #9 Posted September 8, 2009 Here some of my navy radioman ratings. Pre ww2 cpo bullion Radioman rate Pre ww2 Radioman 2nd class The lighting bolts are facing down Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted September 10, 2009 Share #10 Posted September 10, 2009 Jason, I really like the very early "error" PO2 rating badge. -dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted September 10, 2009 Share #11 Posted September 10, 2009 Rob, that thick rate sounds like the crows they made during the Seventies when we were all in the CPO style uniforms. Big, thick gastley things that were universally dispised. Most guys would go find crows made on fabric out in town tarher than put those huge gloppy things on their sleeves.Steve Hesson Aye Steve, Like this one on my work jacket. They were so thick that we really could not use them on anything but the thick wool shirts or on jackets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted September 10, 2009 Share #12 Posted September 10, 2009 "Brown not Blue" appears to be faded and foreign made? -dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topdcnut Posted September 11, 2009 Share #13 Posted September 11, 2009 Here is an RM2 that I have had for some time not sure if it is Wave or Spar but am leaning toward Spar as it is a fairly light navy blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted September 11, 2009 Share #14 Posted September 11, 2009 "Brown not Blue" appears to be faded and foreign made?-dan Now that you mention it, it does look like a "Subic Special". Steve Hesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Ragan Posted September 11, 2009 Share #15 Posted September 11, 2009 That 2nd Class in post number 9, has the radio sparks very similar to what was used by the Army back prior to 1920 on Electrician Sergeant's chevrons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony V Posted September 11, 2009 Share #16 Posted September 11, 2009 Here is one dated 1944 I got over last weekend. Picked up 12 different, and sure can use to be cleaned. He had them pined up a lot of years. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topdcnut Posted September 11, 2009 Share #17 Posted September 11, 2009 Here is one dated 1944 I got over last weekend. Picked up 12 different, and sure can use to be cleaned. He had them pined up a lot of years. Tony [This is radarman and looks like a good candidate for a bath in oxyclean (I use the cheap brand from the dollar store) John] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 12, 2009 Share #18 Posted September 12, 2009 Now that you mention it, it does look like a "Subic Special". Steve Hesson Steve, Good eye. When I was a Recruiter down in the Los Angeles area, I lived in Navy housing in both Long Beach and Los Alamitos and was able to start picking up Naval rates. The Sailor I got this from said he picked it up at Subic Bay when he was stationed in the Philippines in the early 80s. I agree with the faded part even though this is the first and only "brown" one I have ever seen. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted September 12, 2009 Share #19 Posted September 12, 2009 Steve, Good eye. When I was a Recruiter down in the Los Angeles area, I lived in Navy housing in both Long Beach and Los Alamitos and was able to start picking up Naval rates. The Sailor I got this from said he picked it up at Subic Bay when he was stationed in the Philippines in the early 80s. I agree with the faded part even though this is the first and only "brown" one I have ever seen. Bill The thread they used to make them was not color fast and bleached out pretty quick. Especially in those laundries. Every thing washed on hot water, whites got bleach. Steve Hesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted September 18, 2009 Share #20 Posted September 18, 2009 Here is a Radio Electrician First Class crow. It is on e-bay (on a jumper) listed as Span-Am. However, even though the eagle is the 1886 pattern, the electricial globe was not adopted until 1898, and the radio sparks were not adopted until 1912. I have seen photos of these old crows in use along side the new ones, so this appears to be a case of using good "old' stock. Additionally , according to John Stacey, there was no reg governing the direction or the spark points, and those point down were just as likely as point across. Steve Hesson Here some of my navy radioman ratings. Pre ww2 cpo bullion Radioman rate Pre ww2 Radioman 2nd class The lighting bolts are facing down Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navyman Posted September 18, 2009 Share #21 Posted September 18, 2009 Here is a Radio Electrician First Class crow. It is on e-bay (on a jumper) listed as Span-Am. However, even though the eagle is the 1886 pattern, the electricial globe was not adopted until 1898, and the radio sparks were not adopted until 1912. I have seen photos of these old crows in use along side the new ones, so this appears to be a case of using good "old' stock. Additionally , according to John Stacey, there was no reg governing the direction or the spark points, and those point down were just as likely as point across. Steve Hesson Steve, I think the eagle's head is facing in the wrong direction on that jumper? Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navyman Posted September 18, 2009 Share #22 Posted September 18, 2009 Here's one of my ww1 jumper that has the electrian's mate 3rd class and radioman DM pointing down. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navyman Posted September 18, 2009 Share #23 Posted September 18, 2009 Two more pre ww2 1st class radioman rates !st one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navyman Posted September 18, 2009 Share #24 Posted September 18, 2009 2nd one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted September 18, 2009 Share #25 Posted September 18, 2009 Steve, I think the eagle's head is facing in the wrong direction on that jumper? Jason You are correct. It is on the left sleeve facing forward. I have seen this before, though not very often. The more I look at this crow, the more it looks like it is "Sailor Made". This too was a common pratice back "in the day". Maybe Dan can take a look. Steve Hesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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