Which Mercantile Marine Cap Badge?
 

Hi All,

I'm trying to find out what cap badge would have been worn by a first engineer and a third engineer in the mercantile marine during WW1.

Would they have been classed as officers and worn the officers badge like this one:

http://www.qmsmilitaria.com/viewphot...h=56337&phqu=2

or the ratings badge like this one:

http://www.qmsmilitaria.com/viewphot...h=55891&phqu=2

Thanks for the help,

Michael

Badge
 

As they were Ships (MN) Officers i would have said the first image.

Regards
Destro

PS Exemplo Ducemus

Hi, Both would definitely have been officers and would have worn the first badge, if that is what their particular company opted to wear, but it depends on what company they were serving with as many Merchant Service (or Mercantile Marine, it didn't become the Merchant Navy until 1922) companies had their own distinctive design of cap badge.

The second badge is indeed a ratings badge but a majority of ratings serving in ships of merchant companies had no uniform or insignia at all, this generally being the preserve of officers, the only real exception being passenger liners where ratings did have uniforms.
hope it helps

regards

Tony

Yes, quite right. Most companies had their own badges so it would be better to tell us what company they served with to ID what the badge would be. In the absence of that knowledge, the generic badge would be fine.
Cheers,
Alex

Thanks for the help everyone, the ship in question is the SS Combe and if I'm reading this website correctly:

http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?183623

the company was Stephenson Clarke & Associated Companies Ltd.(Normandy shipping Co. Ltd.).

Thanks again,

Michael

cap badge for stephenson clarke & co.
 

Several references to SS Coombe being owned by Stephenson Clarke & Co.
This link shows, on p37, a pic of an officer described as wearing the cap badge of SC&Co for 1920. Maybe you can save and enlarge to get a better view.
https://books.google.com.au/books?id...0badge&f=false
Regards, Tony

I'm afraid the company doesn't feature in the book 'Heraldry of the Oceans' so I can't tell you what the badge looks like.
Cheers,
Alex

Thanks for the help everyone, that's great.

Michael

SC&Shipping bage
 

Your original badge is a Generic badge worn by all officers Deck, Engine, purser Officers, Many Officers when they changed Companies did not bother to keep changing cap badges, the second badge is a Chief Petty Officers badge, the Stephenson cap badge please see pictures, i wore a Generic Officers badge for all my time in the Merchant Navy.

Hello all,

Here is the full badge for Stephenson Clarke officer ;
may be a copy, but looks not so bad as reference .......

All the best.