Consolidated Topics - United States Shipping Board USSB 1917 - 1936

[Tonomachi]

MODERATORS NOTE 15 March 2026

 

Aloha Everyone,

 

I've been consolidating member topics which have been languishing in our old USMF reference sections and have not been accessible since our upgrade(s) more than 15 years ago.  These topics have been scrubbed and edited and are now being presented in these Consolidated Topics.

 

This topic is specifically for Uniforms and Items from the United States Shipping Board USSB 1917 - 1936

 

So, here we go, back to 2007...

 

Salvage Sailor

 

 

 

United States Shipping Board (USSB)

1917 - 1936

 

The U.S. Shipping Board was created in September 1916 and organized in January 1917 to revitalize the U.S. merchant fleet. It built some 1,000 cargo ships, commandeered more than 2 million tons of shipping from private yards and owners, and operated the German ships seized by the U.S. government when it declared war on Germany in 1917.

 

The house flag of the USSB was 6 x 9 feet, white with a three-star version of the shield from the U.S. COA superimposed on a blue anchor and flanked by the letters US and SB. According to the 1917 volume of U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, pages 2345 and 2346, the flag was designed by Charles Collens, a Boston architect.

 

The USSB was redesignated the U.S. Shipping Bureau in the Department of Commerce in 1933, then disestablished and replaced by the Maritime Commission when Congress passed the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. Its functions operating the government merchant fleet were lost to the Merchant Fleet Corporation in 1927, which was also subsumed into the Maritime Commission in 1936. 

 

 

August 18, 2007

 

Picked up a number of things at the flea market yesterday. I paid $10.00 for this photograph of a young man in some sort of uniform with a cap badge that has a shield in the middle with the initials US SB? Anyone know what this is? Could it be some sort of early Coast Guard? 

 

Dennis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[navyman]

US SHIPPING BOARD USSB / EARLY USMM UNIFORM SET

 

Hi,

I just got this set and think it is either US Shipping Board or the begining of the US Merchant Marine service. The USSB was changeD to the USMM in 1934.

 

The rating badge is what leads me to believe this may be early USMM set.  Anyone have any thoughts, I would like to hear them.

I did not see a name.

 

 

 

Jason

 

 

 

 

 

Close up on the rating badge

[sigsaye]

Yep, USSB uniform, and a sweet one at that!!

[navyman]

Thanks for the replies.

Steve, I never seen a USSB rating badge with MM on the rating badge. Usually they had SB on the bottom.

 

Jason

[sigsaye]

Didn't notice the MM on the on the rate. But you have Shipping Board on the cap ribbon. Guessing he was SB and then the organization changed to Merchant Marine. Made first after the change.

[67Rally]

Yep, Jason...I am floored. You STOLE that uniform, fair and square.

[navyman]

Yep, Jason...I am floored. You STOLE that uniform, fair and square.

Yeah,

You cant't beat $65.00 and that includes shipping for this set. But I made her a offer for a LOT more to pull it and even let her know what she had, so I guess I did steal it fair and square. But I do feel a little bad she lost out.

 

 

 

Jason

[Lee Ragan]

Note the two rows of piping on the collar instead of the three you find on USN & USCG jumpers.

 

This is one dynamite find! I LIKE IT!!!

[navyman]

O.K. this book was found in the pocket of the jumper.

 

 

Published in 1918

 

 

Jason

[Justin B.]

It's really interesting and I've never seen anything like that. There was no official organization called the "U.S. Merchant Marine," which refers collectively to all the various companies, lines and independent vessels flying the U.S. flag. There was the U.S. Maritime Commission and later the uniformed U.S. Maritime Service, but merchant vessels were not obligated to use USMS uniforms or insignia. My best guess is that a manufacturer changed the "SB" to a more generic "MM" so they could continue to sell the badges they were making after the USSB was dissolved. Regardless, it's a realy cool uniform!

 

Justin B.

[JB4244]

United States Shipping Board (USSB) Uniform

 

Hello,

 

I just found these Navy uniforms, but I need help to identify some insignias.

 

- The first jumper is WW1 I think with an insignia Under the Pocket, do you know what is it ?

 

- The second jumper is from the USMS and it comes with a red scarf with a white round on it, do you know what is the signification of this scarf ?

 

Thanks for your help !

 

Regards.

 

 

 

USMS jumper with red scarf

[sigsaye]

The top jumper is NOT USN. Civilian of some sort.

 

The red scarf does NOT go with the USMS jumper, again some sort of civilian thing

[JB4244]

Ok, thank you for these informations sigsaye !

 

Regards.

[topdcnut]

Not so quick on the top jumper, that is the USSB insignia and I would not be so quick to dismiss it, How the jumper is configured might not be right. I would love to put it on hold in my uniform collection.

[sigsaye]

Not so quick on the top jumper, that is the USSB insignia and I would not be so quick to dismiss it, How the jumper is configured might not be right. I would love to put it on hold in my uniform collection.

. Yes, I had just had that same thought while I was out working in the barn.

The insignia was very familiar. But, still not USN

[topdcnut]

It needs to be remembered that although these are not USN uniforms, at times the USMS, USSB USPHS USGS and the USCG operated under the Dept of the Navy. And for a time the REAL regular Navy did not fully consider the USNR to be legit sailors, and even the USMC belongs to DON. So, these are not Navy uniforms THey are Sea service uniforms worn by men who served in organizations controlled by the Dept of the Navy.

[JB4244]

Hello,

 

Thank you for these additional informations !

 

Regards.

[Tim B]

Older thread but comparing the sewn insignia shown in the top jumper to the known style of insignia the USSB used, you can see the anchor stock fouling is indicative to the period 1917 - 1933.

 

First, if you look closely at the style of anchor stocks, it gives indication to the era of the device, which in this example is between 1917 - 1933. The device changed somewhat after that as shown in the flags below.

 

 

Second, here's a couple more examples that sold on Ebay within the last year.

 

This is the "other ranks" enlisted cap device, Screwpost attachment and measures roughly 1 5/8" X 1 1/4" in size.

 

 

A son in service sweetheart device (WW1) that measures 1 1/4" x 1" in size.

 

[GIl Sanow]

'Tis a Puzzlement: US Shipping Board Uniform (USSB)

 

My next door neighbor passed away a few months ago and her daughters are cleaning out her house. They discovered her father's WW1 USN uniform and gave it to me, knowing of my interest in uniforms. It belonged to Seaman 1st Class Vincent Emerson Willis who became a physician after the war. They were kind enough to include a scan of his business card and a photo of him with a young girl, perhaps a niece, and this told me a bit more, but I still have questions.

 

The blue uniform includes his jumper with the triple cuff stripes showing his rank and a pair of bellbottoms. Nowhere can I find any labels though.

 

His card states that he was stationed at Camp Logan, Zion, Illinois. Curious, I Googled that name and learned that Camp Logan was an Illinois National Guard training site located north of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan. The ING used it for small arms firing, and the Navy used it during WW1 for the same purposes for sailors training at nearby Great Lakes.

 

On the right sleeve is a qualification badge for an Expert Marksman. Perhaps Willis trained there and was retained to teach his shooting skills.

 

On the left sleeve is an insignia I cannot identify. It appears in none of my limited USN insignia references. It is a white anchor with a red, white and blue shield with three stars. Can anyone ID this insignia?

 

Can anyone else share any info on Seaman Willis' service?

 

 

 

 

[P-40Warhawk]

Looks like US Shipping Board to me?

[GIl Sanow]

Hmmmmm. You make a good point -- see below. The daughters are not aware of this connection.

 

 

I nosed around on Wikipedia for more info on USSB. It was formed in 1916 to oversee the American merchant marine and took over and operated German and other enemy ships during WW1. Apparently they trained and crewed these and other ships. Whether that included marksmanship is not mentioned, so I am still at a loss.

 

G

[BEAST]

Gil,

 

There are a few threads on the forum that discuss the shipping board. This one provided a nice example of the insignia being worn (from HHBOOKER2).

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/13376-post-your-spanam-through-wwi-navy-uniforms/page-2

 

 

[GIl Sanow]

Bingo! Interesting that the one I have has the USSB patch down below the elbow, as a qualification badge.

 

G

[Bob Hudson]

I found an online the 1918 book: United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation: Hearings ..., Volume 1 By United States. Congress. Senate

 

It has lot of hearing testimony about the need for and usage of Navy crews on merchant ships. Here's a couple of excerpts from the full piece at https://books.google.com/books?id=dt1FAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22United%20states%20Shipping%20Board%22%20%22enlisted%22&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=manned&f=false

 

 

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That line "manned with men already in the service" sounds to me as though US Navy sailors would be detaied to the USSB. That could explain why the USSB patch was located below the elbow.

 

The USSB was gearing up for a massive training and expansion program for shipbuilders had the war not ended and in some parts of this Senate testimony there are concerns about whether the enlisted sailors would take work from union members and there was even discussion of should skilled enlisted men get pay equal to the unionized civilians they served with?

 

By the way, that Google books link should take you to a keyword search for the word "manned" - there's s search box on the left of that page which allows to enter any keywords

[GIl Sanow]

I assume you are referring to the uniform in the portrait photo, not the actual uniform I own. Didn't the collar striping match the cuffs then?

 

Did anyone else notice the overseas stripe in the portrait photo? Presumably the fellow in the pic had at least 6 months overseas.

 

G