Jump to content

Radarman | Operations Specialist Crows


67Rally
 Share

Recommended Posts

This is an early radarman third class petty officer badge. The insignia very closely resembles that of the radioman. From what I have researched, radiomen initially were responsible for the operation and maintenance of the radar gear (makes sense since radar is a radio transmitter/receiver):

4736253606_f8e364f1e9_b.jpg

 

This just arrived yesterday - it is a chief radarman silver bullion on wool, still sealed in the Gemsco package. I am not certain of the date of this badge:

4735601533_d747d50589_b.jpg

 

In 1972, the RD rating changed to Operations Specialist (OS) with the equipment maintenance responsibility shifting over to the Electronics Technicians(ET) and ECM/ECCM duties shifting over to the Electronic Warfare Technicians (EW).

 

These are OS rating badges trimmed to an OS3 from 1987:

4736284560_46a0e1f596_b.jpg4736275748_1705f7b753_b.jpg

 

Here is an Operations Specialist Second Class rate insignia that is made for a peacoat. Note the deformed crow - missing part of one leg and the entire 2nd leg. This is what happens when you're desperate and the all the uniform shop has is a deformity and you're about to deploy:

4735627839_403b44c20b_b.jpg

 

I am curious to hear from sigsaye as to which of these crows are the "new, wimpy crows."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PatchMeThru
I am curious to hear from sigsaye as to which of these crows are the "new, wimpy crows."

 

I bet he chimes in with the ST3 (White CNT 3rd Class) one shown above.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, the white one is the post '84 wimpy style. The blue is the pre'84, not too bad looking eagle. Your OS2 crow was not actually made for the P-Coat, but rather was the style that was made for all blue uniforms in the mid-'70s. As you can see from this selection, three variations were all in use at the same time, from the same source (Navy Exchange?) Which just goes to show that you really can't date Navy stuff by the crow.

 

Steve Hesson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bet he chimes in with the ST3 (White CNT 3rd Class) one shown above.

[ I've gone from top to bottom and cannot find the ST3? I however, think they should never have gotten away from the 1905 crow (eagle).]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, the white one is the post '84 wimpy style. The blue is the pre'84, not too bad looking eagle. Your OS2 crow was not actually made for the P-Coat, but rather was the style that was made for all blue uniforms in the mid-'70s. As you can see from this selection, three variations were all in use at the same time, from the same source (Navy Exchange?) Which just goes to show that you really can't date Navy stuff by the crow.

 

Steve Hesson

 

 

Steve,

 

Thanks for the input.

 

I went through a pile of my uniforms and located yet another style (I'll have to post a photo) that resembles the blue OS3 patch but has the red stitching inside the beak. How many variations exist in the modern era?

 

By the way, most of my crows came from uniform shops (at the NEX) in various locales - San Diego, Seattle, Bremerton, Pearl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve,

 

Thanks for the input.

 

I went through a pile of my uniforms and located yet another style (I'll have to post a photo) that resembles the blue OS3 patch but has the red stitching inside the beak. How many variations exist in the modern era?

 

By the way, most of my crows came from uniform shops (at the NEX) in various locales - San Diego, Seattle, Bremerton, Pearl.

The red stitching was pretty common with tailor made crows. My gold SM1 crow has that. Love it. don't know if any of the "Issue" crows did. There are un countable variations. Each manufactuerer at times had differances, the various issue versions with ever changing back fabric and then toss in all the tailor mades....

 

Steve Hesson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The red stitching was pretty common with tailor made crows. My gold SM1 crow has that. Love it. don't know if any of the "Issue" crows did. There are un countable variations. Each manufactuerer at times had differances, the various issue versions with ever changing back fabric and then toss in all the tailor mades....

 

Steve Hesson

 

 

You seem very knowledgeable regarding naval uniforms. Is there anything definitive out there that discusses the variations of fabrics used for the uniforms:

 

Dress Blues

Dress Whites

Undress Blues

Undress Whites

Khakis

Greens

Greys

Etc.

 

I know the difference in the wool material on my grandfather's dress blue jumper (WWII) from my own (1980s-90s) and the cotton white jumpers of WWII are vastly different from my CNT whites. Beyond that, the variations escape me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were the issue uniforms. All white uniforms were of the same fabric. All the crows for blue uniforms were the same. Khaki and Gray were cotton drill and green were the worsted wool. OK, then you had Tailor made Dress Blues which tended to be a finer and "blacker" wool, almost like the stuff issued today. they also made Tailor made whites which were of a fabric called "Shark Skin" It was a type of cotton, but lighter that the issue stuff. Ant then, you go with hte Tailor made khakis and grays which could also be made of a tropical weight worsted wool, as were some of the greens (a lighter weight than standard. While the khakis, grays and greens were for officers and CPOs, and therefore "Private Purchase" by nature, standard "issue" items were produced by the Naval Clothing Factory for sale. These were the cotton drill uniforms. These were also avail from private tailors in the same fabrics, or the finer woolens.

 

Steve Hesson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PatchMeThru
[ I've gone from top to bottom and cannot find the ST3? I however, think they should never have gotten away from the 1905 crow (eagle).]

 

You are correct, I should have said OS3, not ST3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were the issue uniforms. All white uniforms were of the same fabric. All the crows for blue uniforms were the same. Khaki and Gray were cotton drill and green were the worsted wool. OK, then you had Tailor made Dress Blues which tended to be a finer and "blacker" wool, almost like the stuff issued today. they also made Tailor made whites which were of a fabric called "Shark Skin" It was a type of cotton, but lighter that the issue stuff. Ant then, you go with hte Tailor made khakis and grays which could also be made of a tropical weight worsted wool, as were some of the greens (a lighter weight than standard. While the khakis, grays and greens were for officers and CPOs, and therefore "Private Purchase" by nature, standard "issue" items were produced by the Naval Clothing Factory for sale. These were the cotton drill uniforms. These were also avail from private tailors in the same fabrics, or the finer woolens.

 

Steve Hesson

Oh boy, shark skin whites! Really looked sharp on a slim sailor.

 

Much more rare than tailor-made dress blues.

 

Here's my tailored, but not shark skin, whites from the early 1960s. (sorry to hijack the thread from RD/OS). BTW, I'm wearing an RD3 crow in this picture...before I "swapped rates".

 

-dan

post-769-1277913475.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh boy, shark skin whites! Really looked sharp on a slim sailor.

 

Much more rare than tailor-made dress blues.

 

Here's my tailored, but not shark skin, whites from the early 1960s. (sorry to hijack the thread from RD/OS). BTW, I'm wearing an RD3 crow in this picture...before I "swapped rates".

 

-dan

Dan, what's the mark on your sleeve below the UIM?

 

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh boy, shark skin whites! Really looked sharp on a slim sailor.

 

Much more rare than tailor-made dress blues.

 

Here's my tailored, but not shark skin, whites from the early 1960s. (sorry to hijack the thread from RD/OS). BTW, I'm wearing an RD3 crow in this picture...before I "swapped rates".

 

-dan

 

Hijack away! I'd love to see a color photo of a sharkskin uniform. Anyone have one to share?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan, what's the mark on your sleeve below the UIM?

 

Steve

Firefighter assistant. (Maltese Cross)

 

Graduate of advanced firefighting school in those days.

 

They didn't normally send Radarmen to advanced firefighting school, but I reported to the naval base for shipboard duty while my ship was at sea. They noticed I'd attended basic firefighting school and since an advanced class was starting the following Monday they sent me to the class since they couldn't send me to mess duty (I was a PO).

 

-dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firefighter assistant. (Maltese Cross)

 

Graduate of advanced firefighting school in those days.

 

They didn't normally send Radarmen to advanced firefighting school, but I reported to the naval base for shipboard duty while my ship was at sea. They noticed I'd attended basic firefighting school and since an advanced class was starting the following Monday they sent me to the class since they couldn't send me to mess duty (I was a PO).

 

-dan

 

Dan,

 

I too went to several firefighting schools as well as the damage-control team trainers. I also graduated from the rescue swimmer school at 32nd street.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan,

 

I too went to several firefighting schools as well as the damage-control team trainers. I also graduated from the rescue swimmer school at 32nd street.

Interesting assignments for an OS.

How'd you like San Diego?

-dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting assignments for an OS.

How'd you like San Diego?

-dan

 

I enjoyed San Diego - the weather is fantastic and consistent. Aside from the gang violence and my car getting broken into on a regular basis, it is a good city. I had applied (my application was accepted) for the SDPD in the last two months of my first enlistment. I instead, extended for the cruise of a lifetime (5 months touring Australia and NZ with the Missouri) only to be directed to the PG to help with the crisis in the "sandy bathtub." I re-enlisted for 6 years and transferred to the Puget Sound region finishing my 10 years in Seattle (at Sand Point).

 

I was a non-designated striker when I went through those schools, btw. I was the ship's rescue swimmer during flight ops until I struck for OS. No more repair lockers and helm/lookout watches for me. I first struck for AW and was denied since the command didn't want to cough up my billet (or so I was told) and pay to send me to AW "A" school.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I enjoyed San Diego - the weather is fantastic and consistent. Aside from the gang violence and my car getting broken into on a regular basis, it is a good city. I had applied (my application was accepted) for the SDPD in the last two months of my first enlistment. I instead, extended for the cruise of a lifetime (5 months touring Australia and NZ with the Missouri) only to be directed to the PG to help with the crisis in the "sandy bathtub." I re-enlisted for 6 years and transferred to the Puget Sound region finishing my 10 years in Seattle (at Sand Point).

 

I was a non-designated striker when I went through those schools, btw. I was the ship's rescue swimmer during flight ops until I struck for OS. No more repair lockers and helm/lookout watches for me. I first struck for AW and was denied since the command didn't want to cough up my billet (or so I was told) and pay to send me to AW "A" school.

Nice career.

I made a full South American cruise as an RD3. The cruise was the annual UNITAS cruise for the USN.

I considered swapping from RD to AW, but swapped to DP.

-dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Firefighter assistant. (Maltese Cross)

 

Graduate of advanced firefighting school in those days.

 

They didn't normally send Radarmen to advanced firefighting school, but I reported to the naval base for shipboard duty while my ship was at sea. They noticed I'd attended basic firefighting school and since an advanced class was starting the following Monday they sent me to the class since they couldn't send me to mess duty (I was a PO).

 

-dan

Dan, I was thinking that's what that mark was, just couldn't see it all that clear. I miss all those marks, I thought they were cool. My first three ships were out of Sandiego, my fourth started there and went to Japan. I was actually born there and lived there in the '59-60s while my Father was in the Navy. It was a great town then, nobody knew it was there but the Navy.

 

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice career.

I made a full South American cruise as an RD3. The cruise was the annual UNITAS cruise for the USN.

I considered swapping from RD to AW, but swapped to DP.

-dan

 

UNITAS cruises sound like a blast. We had a few Atlantic Fleet sailors who reminisced about them. I would have loved a South American cruise.

 

The closest we got was when we first left P-Goula tp San Diego via the Panama Canal. We were shadowed by many flights of Bear-D flights from Cuba as we made our way through the Caribbean. We did get to have some in-port time in Panama City before heading north to San Dog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh boy, shark skin whites! Really looked sharp on a slim sailor.

 

Much more rare than tailor-made dress blues.

 

Here's my tailored, but not shark skin, whites from the early 1960s. (sorry to hijack the thread from RD/OS). BTW, I'm wearing an RD3 crow in this picture...before I "swapped rates".

 

-dan

Yeah, and collectors wonder why all the uniforms are so small!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...