WWI era RCN Cap Ribbons

[RCN]

Continuing the thread John started on early RCN Cap ribbons, I show a WWI period R.N.C.V.R. ribbon & a CDV of the sailor wearing the ribbon.

For those that know next to nothing about the early days of the RCN/RNCVR, I might mention that the RCN came into formal existance in May 1910. The RN had formally pulled out of its two major bases (one in Halifax on the east coast, & one in Esquimalt on the west coast)in Canada in 1906 & left the defence of Canada in the hands of the Canadian Fisheries Protection Service. This was a very small force effectively led by the RMS/CGS Canada, a former passenger liner & Canadian Fisheries Protection Service ship. The RCN got its start on RMS/GCS Canada, with the first 8 officer cadet entries & newly entered ratings received their initial training on her.

The Canadian gov't, finally realizing it need a proper Navy, 'got its act together' & formally formed the RCN in 1910 & requested two older cruisers from the RN, these being loaned to Canada that yr, these being the former HMS Rainbow & Niobe.

Provision was made for a small reserve force in 1914, but the force was a part of the RN, & was designated as the RNCVR - Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve. Thus recruits for the RNCVR were in reality part of the RNVR, altho they were Canadians & former RN ratings that had either emigrated to Canada after they completed their RN service, or elected to remain in Canada after discharge from the RN.

The cap ribbon & CDV shown below are RNCVR. To the best of my knowledge there was no RCN cap ribbon in WWI. RCN ratings wore their HMCS ship ribbon (as John has illustrated in his thread), or just HMCS.

Bryan

[RCN]

The R.N.C.V.R. (Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve) was disbanded after the Great War.

Its successor was the R.C.N.V.R. (Royal Canadian Volunteer Reserve) a purely Canadian organization run by the R.C.N., & not the RN, as was the RNCVR. The RCNVR commenced in 1923, with the establishment of several companies across Canada, generally in the major cities, ie: Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver etc.
The RCNVR was not a large force like the RNVR, the companies being generally small, perhaps 50 or so officers & ratings in each company.

The RCNVR wore uniforms & insignia identical to the RN, but had distinctive Cap ribbons. These ribbons are fairly rare, & two examples from the 1920's are shown below.

Like the HMCS Rainbow ribbon John has shewn in his thread, The RCNVR Vancouver ribbon has the recipients name stencilled on the reverse (& the lettering is still legible, his name was C. LEWIS) you might be able to view some of the letters on the ribbon in the photo below.


Bryan

[RCN]

During the WWI, the interwar period, & & WWII the RCN also wore the 'generic' H.M.C.S. cap ribbon.

Here is an example from WWI period & a studio portrait of a rating wearing this ribbon,

Bryan

[ekregt]

Hi Bryan,
Very interesting stuff. Are the WW1 and WW2 "HMCS" tallies constructed similarly or are they quite easily identifiable as from each period?
Thanks, Gerry

[RCN]

Apologies for slow response Gerry.
I have been off the forum for some time now due to lack of time & prior committments.

The WWI cap ribbons that I have & have seen tend to be a of a thinner material, hold one of them up to the light & you can almost seen thru it, its not opaque. The WWI ribbons tend to feel very thin & almost fragile to the touch. Now of course age has a lot to do with that as well. They are always woven in gold wire & of course they are well tarnished with age.
Some of the interwar & pre WWII ribbons are similar, but they will be seen in gold embroidered thread as well. After WWII the ribbons became thicker & more opaque.
Age is usually the giveaway tho - if its an older wartime or pre war ribbon it should look & feel old.
Hope this helps you,

Bryan

[RCN]

In addition to the points I have made in my previous post, another way to tell an early (WWI, interwar, & WWII period) cap ribbon is to note the periods between the letters - see the examples I have posted above Gerry,

the periods are square, not round, & there is always a square period after the ship name,

Bryan

[Voltigeur]

Hi Bryan, they say a picture is worth a thousand words,well....
Jo
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/d...hki39aplh10kh3

[ekregt]

Thanks alot Bryan. It's nice to have an idea of what I'm looking at if the circumstance arises.
Thanks again, Gerry