[Guzzman]

Hi Jerry

This is a badge for a Royal Navy Charge Chief Petty Officer. There were many changes in the various artificer branches in the early-1980s. The replacement of the artificer rates of 4th to 1st Class Artificer by Leading Rate to Chief Petty Officer titles were seen as diminishing the standing of the most senior artificer, the Chief Artificer.

To counteract this loss of standing, the non-substantive rating of Charge Chief Petty Officer (CCPO) was introduced in 1986. They were given a cuff badge (worn on the right cuff above the cuff buttons) of a Queen's Crown above a rampant lion encircled by a laurel wreath. Why a rampant lion was chosen to represent CCPOs I have no idea!

The badges were issued in gold wire (and subsequently in gold lurex), a gold wire miniature version for Mess Dress, embroidered in red, embroidered in blue/red on white and embroidered in white (for CCPOs serving on the Royal Yacht).

The non-substantive rate of Charge Chief Petty Officer was replaced by the substantive rate of Warrant Officer Grade 2 on 1st April 2004. The rank of WO2 was itself phased out from December 2013, with no new promotions, athough ratings holding the rank of WO2 would retain the rank until they either left the service or were promoted.

Pete