Navy Shoulder patch cir. 1960's

[JRobinson]

I hope I am doing this right, I have been searching the post and know that most of you are interested in WWI, WWII patches. I have one from my father, who has passed on, so I can't ask him. I have attached a picture of it below. I know the rank is Chief Petty Officer, but I am trying to find out what the knot's signify. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you very much.

[2Dogs]

Your rate is an Apprntce Petty Officer.

[Pack Rat]

I think it's called ex-apprentice.

 

Cheers,

 

-D

[JRobinson]

Thank you both for your help. That is what I thought but the apprentice symbols I saw online didn't match but they were from WWI so I wasn't sure.

[QED4]

It is an Apprentice Petty Office, they were worn by trainees who showed promise and were made acting POs to help the instructors. They were removed after training, it should be about half the size of a standard CPO rating. The knot exists in both a square knot and a figure 8 knot.

[sigsaye]

While officially listed as "Apprentice Petty Officer" badges, they were known amung Sailors as "Recruit Petty Officer" badges. They were issued out to recruits in each company to signify a position of responsibility within the company. The RCPO (Recruit Chief Petty Officer) was the senior recruit. His main function was to act as the companies senion "NCO" if you will. There were several RPO1, an assistant RPOC, MAA, (Who was in charge of the barracks) first and secont platoon leaders and the Yeoman (who made sure all paper work was completed and in on time. RPO2s were squad leaders (6), DCPO (who did in house repairs to the barracks) and Gunnersmate who maintained the rifles and racks of the company. RPO3s were things such as laundry PO, (who was responsible to ensure the laundry facilities were squared away and all laundry was properly stowed), Forward Hold PO (who acted like a supply PO issueing our cleaning gear and keeping all that squared away and clean), assorted Religious POs who responsible for taking their groups to their appropriate religious gatherings on Sunday. There were a couple of others, but I can't remember them.

 

 

Generally, there were requirements to be assigned to one of these positions such as a minimum reading leval and paragraph comprihension score on your entrance tests. RPOC and RMAA also required the "right" personality, being able to take charge and get it done. Sometimes this was not possible. At the time I was training recruits, the minimum reading score fo any PO position was 56. I once picked up a company of 90 recruits and the higest score I had was 32. I got it done, it was just a bit more time consumeing since I couldn't just hend them a book and had to hand carry each one through their jobs.

 

The reason these RPOs exsist is that the Company Commander has got to have help is the day to day running of the company. It is just impossible to do it alone.

 

Again, as has been said, these rating badges are temporary and are removed upon graduation from boot camp. These crows came in both blue and white versions. They can be found with both square knots and figuer eight knots. That was more a manufacture variation rather than some Navy regulation. At Great Lakes, they were always worn on the right sleeve, even up into the 1970s, when they were dropped infavor of pin on collar devices. They were intended to be worn on blues and whites, but towards the end of their life span, we were wearing them on dumgarees since we did not wear the blues or whites until after we graduated.

 

Steve Hesson