Navy Radioman Rating Badges

[dpcsdan]

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.

John,

I've yet to see a WAVES rating badge with "applied chevrons," this would be the first. If it turns out to be a SPAR rating badge, then, I've still yet to see a WAVES applied chevrons rating badge...

Also, I really like the 1948 date, I've always felt the "date thing" was from 1936 through 1948, but I don't have a 1947 or 1948 piece to prove that thought. Thanks for showing the 1948 dated rating badge. What size is this rating badge?

-dan

[dpcsdan]

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

I've held this jumper in my hands and the crow did, indeed, look homemade. The chevrons were of a thinner material than I would expect on those rating badges. Can't guess as to why it was crafted with the eagle looking in the opposite direction from authorized rating badges of that period.

 

I might add that I do, now, feel that it is an authentic 1905-1912 era jumper. At one time I did not believe that to be the case, but as I picked up more history, mostly from Steve Hesson, about sailor made uniforms, I can easily see how there would be deviation in the final products, and the officer and CPO corps would not have likely made a big fuss about the differences as long as men were allowed to make their own uniforms.

 

-dan

"Lumpy duct tape is a sign of shoddy craftsmanship."

[sigsaye]

I've held this jumper in my hands and the crow did, indeed, look homemade. The chevrons were of a thinner material than I would expect on those rating badges. Can't guess as to why it was crafted with the eagle looking in the opposite direction from authorized rating badges of that period.

 

I might add that I do, now, feel that it is an authentic 1905-1912 era jumper. At one time I did not believe that to be the case, but as I picked up more history, mostly from Steve Hesson, about sailor made uniforms, I can easily see how there would be deviation in the final products, and the officer and CPO corps would not have likely made a big fuss about the differences as long as men were allowed to make their own uniforms.

 

-dan

"Lumpy duct tape is a sign of shoddy craftsmanship."

While this is drifting off from the "RM" topic (as a Signalman I find that acceptable ) I have seen Civil War era rating badges that run the gammot of works of art to barely recognizable. I have also seen several from that era that had the crow on the left sleeve with the eagle facing forward.

 

Even though by the early 20th century there were good logistic sources, there were still "Sailor Made" uniforms being produced. Several years back I examined a set of Dress Blues that had belonged to a First Class Yeoman aboard USS New York with WW1 OS stripes on them. They were entirely hand stitched, the pockets were made with red silk and there was intricate hand stitched detail work in both jumper and trousers. So, this particular crow could have very well been produced by the orignial owner due to being some where that an "Issue" crow was not available. But when you look at the radio sparks, those look to be machine made "issue" items.

 

A thing we often forget with our "modern" sense of "regulation and uniformity" is that Sailors at the beginning of the 20th cnetury, still someties had to make do with what was available. So, lattitude was granted.

 

Steve Hesson

[dpcsdan]

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?

WAVES seersucker RM...

-dan

[subsystem4]

I had almost forgotten about this jumper until i read this thread.