What do you think?

[Old Sailor]

I picked this up in a junk shop many years ago. At the time I thought I might wear it (there is only one) I was entitled to at the time. I always presumed that it was locally made for an officer serving with the USN on exchange. It would not be unusual for exchange officers to wear the khaki summer uniform and this might have been sewn onto the collar. I think it is a little big at 4cm across. There is no proper fixing of either lugs or pins and no way of showing the direction of the 'curl'.

Does anyone know better?

[Phil2M]

I can't help but I think this is a very interesting badge, I am looking forward to seeing the forums replies. Thanks for sharing it.

Regards,

Phil

[Fatboy Ken]

Hiya guys,

Sorry I can't help with the ranks, but I'm of the opinion that this would be worn "Sewn" onto a shoulder/epaulette cloth slider. If you look closely at the top and L/R bottom of the badge you'll see 3 small holes, these are for attaching the badge to a cloth item.

In the RN I believe the "RING" should be facing away from the cuff, so, ........ "if" worn on the epaulette, it, (the ring) should be facing the head/neck.

Purely as an outsider, of course, I'm sure the Sailors amongst us will correct me.

Ken (The Fatboy)

[fez]

It is a very interesting badge, I would say it was theatre made for KD,s if it is British.
Could be for wear on the cuff by other nationalities, Navy's around the world wear rank insignia of this style.
Didn't the Italian army wear something similar ? I may be mistaken

[Mike Jackson]

Originally Posted by fez

It is a very interesting badge, I would say it was theatre made for KD,s if it is British.
Could be for wear on the cuff by other nationalities, Navy's around the world wear rank insignia of this style.
Didn't the Italian army wear something similar ? I may be mistaken

Italian? That was my reaction too. I think it might be an Army Lieutenant's sleeve badge, Second World War, possibly for tropical dress.
Mike

[Old Sailor]

Ken, you missed the point about the curl. It’s not a matter of whether it’s at the top or the bottom, it is always at the top (unless the wearer has fallen over). The point is that open part of the curl should always be to the front of the wearer. In the picture ( apologies for the scruffy scan of equally scruffy things from my ditty box) the stiff shoulder board A is for the right shoulder. The gold wire rank slip is for the left shoulder. The Yellow thread is embroidered. There is actually no lace there at all but it has been embroidered in such a way as it appears to be open to the right and would also be worn on the right shoulder. These cotton ones were the norm when I first got promoted but were later disapproved of, in 1977 I think. If you wore them the wrong way round you would be accused of ‘going astern’ and could be fined a round of drinks.
These are all about 6cm wide so I think the little brass one is, at 4cm, too small for a shoulder and much too small for a cuff. It could possibly have been worn on collar or on a garrison cap /field service cap in some sort of ‘pirate rig’. I have seen USMC and USN Lieutenants wearing such things, Two bars separated by solid spacers although I have never gone up to one and asked to measure them!
I agree that the little holes could have been used to sew it on. It has just occurred to me that they could also be used for very small tacks to fit it to a door or next to a coat hook or the lid of someone’s ditty box.


Cheers to all and thankyou for your help so far.

[Old Sailor]

But look what I just found on Google! It is canadian from the Korean War period.



it is on this page http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/centenn...=142&title=505

In addition to that I now see that the RN are wearing ranks on the front in the new rig, rather than on the shoulder.



Does this mean that instead of having one encrusted with salt and the other one obscured by parrot droppings, the gold lace will just be covered in egg and tomato ketchup?

[RCN]

Its RCN - 1950's period. Supply Branch.
Worn on the collars of the khaki shirts, summer uniform:

Bryan

[Fatboy Ken]

Damn !!! And here i was thinking the "DITTY BOX" theory was the winning idea and along comes RCN Bryan with the actual item, not one though, but the whole series, ..... LOL

Well done Bryan, and an interesting thread, especially from a "Land Lubbers" !! point, as RTA-Phil2M will agree

Cheers Ken

[RCN]

Hi Ken,

I am currently running an ongoing topic in the RCN section:

see: http://www.britishbadgeforum.com/for...ad.php?t=22222

for more info on the RCN Officer's collar insignia. These existed for all of the branches in the 1950's. They went out of service circa 1957.

These insignia attach to the collars with what is called a "clutch fastener" -- its a round thingy that slips over the pins on the reverse of the badge & fiction fastens it to the collar. These pins might be missing (they break off very easily) on your example, I cannot tell from the photo tho.

Bryan

[RCN]

Originally Posted by Fatboy Ken

and along comes RCN Bryan with the actual item, not one though, but the whole series, ..... LOL


Cheers Ken

Actually I am missing one - Supply Rear Admiral - but only one of those in RCN in the day, so chance of me obtaining that insignia is pretty scarce!


Bryan