Royal Yacht Clearance Diver Badges?
 

Hi all, Following on from the questions I asked about Royal Yacht insignia, and being educated that all branch badges in the RN, at the time the yacht was in commission, came in white on navy blue, has anyone ever seen, posses or have a photo of any Clearance Diver badges (AB/LH/PO & CPO Diver)? I have a specimen of a ships diver badge as pictured, but have to date never seen any clearance diving insignia in white on navy blue?

Cheers

Tony

Not sure if this is what you're after.

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A variety of "clearance diver" badges on "Tels Insignia" website:

https://www.tels-insignia.com/shop.php?ps=1&pg=1


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Cheers mike, No that's the standard CD badge, looking for ones in White on blue, but many thanks anyway.

Regards

Tony

Thanks, will check that out.

Cheers

Tony

Hi Tony,

Thanks for sharing. I did not know about this specific one (white on blue). On my side, I only have one piece of the regular RN diver badge (gold on blue).

All the best,

JD

Sealed Pattern

Marc

Royal Yacht Clearance Diver Badges?
 

Hi Tony

Being a rather specialist elite, I don't suppose many Clearance Divers volunteered for service on the Royal Yacht! Most of the ones I knew went into commercial diving, working on oil rigs in the North Sea, etc. Great blokes but not the sort of guys I could see passing round the cucumber sandwiches or polishing the brasswork on HMY Britannia!

Therefore I doubt if there was ever any need to make white-on-blue badges for Clearance Divers.

Cheers

Pete

I forget the exact term, but what were known as 'cuff rate' divers were carried on just about all ships. These were not clearance divers but part-timers from other primary specialties - gunners, TAS, engineering, electrical etc. who qualified as shallow water divers. They occasionally did such things as untangling nets, hull inspections, life-buoy sentry duties etc. They wore a plain diver's helmet badge on the left cuff. I'm pretty sure the Royal Yacht, like any other ship, would have carried some of these ratings.

Royal Yacht Clearance Diver Badges?
 

Totally agree! Someone who had qualified as a basic Ship's Diver may well have volunteered to serve on the Royal Yacht. And they would have worn the white diving helmet badge shown above. But I still think it highly unlikely that a Clearance Diver would ever volunteer.

Pete

What is the difference between a Divers and a Clearance Divers badge?

Marc

Royal Yacht Clearance Diver Badges?
 

Hi Marc

Divers wear a badge consisting of just the diving helmet. Clearance Divers wear the divers badge with one star above (Clearance Diver 3rd Class), one star above and one star below (Clearance Diver 2nd Class), and a Crown above (Clearance Diver 1st Class). In addition to the Divers badge they wear other badges which reflect their specialist skills in bomb and mine disposal.

Pete

Royal Yacht Clearance Diver Badges?
 

Here's a fairly typical selection of the badges worn by Clearance Divers! As you can see, these are real specialists!

Pete

Thank you very much. The image also proves the existence of a white on Navy Blue Bomb Disposal arc.

Marc

Royal Yacht Clearance Diver Badges?
 

The white-on-blue 'BOMB DISPOSAL' badge has been around for a few years now.

One final point to emphasise the difference between Divers and Clearance Divers.

Ordinary Ship's Divers could be from any branch. Normally they undertook their normal branch duties but when a diver was required they would undertake diving duty - and then go back to their normal duties. Diving was an additional skill they acquired for which they received extra pay. They wore their normal trade badges on their right arm and the diving helmet badge on their right cuff.

Clearance Divers are different. Diving is their everyday job, therefore the diving helmet is their branch badge and as such is worn on the right arm and not the cuff.

Have heard that ships divers are being phased out now. I have no idea what a ship on deployment is going to do if it needs to send a diver down to sort out a problem!

Pete