Category: ats

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A mysterious old photograph

Last week a photograph originally in Mr. Bob Lind’s “Neighbors” column in the Fargo, North Dakota newspaper, The Forum, appeared in an online group about the Merchant Marine of the Second World War. The question in both places was, does anyone recognize the group? No one offered anything definitive.

Neighbors ran this photo last year. Kimberly Paulson-Schulman, formerly of Fargo and now of Burbank, Calif., found it in a resale shop in Burbank, saw it was framed in Fargo and sent it to Neighbors, hoping someone could identify the people in it and tell of the occasion on which it was taken.

There was some speculation about the time period based on the uniform of the U.S. Army officer in the second row from the front (sixth from the left).

The ship is definitely a merchant/cargo ship (see the king posts and cargo booms in the background), […]

The time frame is probably late WWII or immediately post-war, or perhaps the Korean War, by the looks of the Army officer’s uniform.

Perhaps.

For the student of Merchant Marine insignia, what is striking about the photograph is how it captures a period of flux in terms of United States Maritime Service (USMS) uniform insignia. Unlike the seemingly timeless look of the wartime U.S. Navy gob, the USMS tinkered with its uniforms and insignia to promote uniformity and to cultivate a distinctive visual culture of identification and rank. Fortunately, the pastiche of insignia aids in dating photographs such as this one.

Within the photograph above, a majority of the individuals are merchant seamen with the exception of the Royal Navy Chief Petty Officers flanking the last row, and the U.S. naval officer to the left of the second row and U.S. Army officer on the far right of the same. Each of them gives an example of the array of uniforms and insignia at the time.

Third Row

 

The Royal Navy Chief Petty Officers flanking both sides of the row wear the standard Royal Navy doeskin coat – a medium weight wool fabric which is usually softer and less densely napped than the melton worn by U.S. Navy. Since there does not appear to be any insignia on their lapels, they could possibly be wearing a Class I, Number I dress uniform. The cap badges are distinctly not those of a Royal Navy Officer. For the duration of the Second World War, the design and cut of the RN CPO uniform remained unchanged.

A keen difference between U.S. Navy and Royal Navy caps are both the names used for the caps and the chin straps on them. The U.S. Navy calls them combination caps and the Royal Navy, peaked caps. British chin straps are all democratically black leather, whereas the U.S. Navy uses gold braid in varying widths for officers, warrant officers, and midshipmen. U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officers use black patent leather chin straps. In the United States, the gold braid is reminiscent of the officer cap band of gold bullion worn in the decade between 1852 and 1862; up until 1869 officers wore a leather chin strap when regulations replaced it with a gold cap cord. The cord attained its current flat strap in after the Spanish-American War in 1904.

 

The two American merchant seamen second and third from the right, are both wearing the cap badge used by the USMS training cadre and Merchant Marine licensed officers who joined the USMS of their own volition. Licensed officers usually joined after the completion of upgrade courses at one of the few USMS officer schools or upon petition. The USMS did not advertise itself in trade publications, rather was learned of by “word of mouth.” The former seaman appears to be a licensed officer onboard a cargo vessel by virtue of the fact his cap is without a crown stiffener; mates and ABs often wore their caps without stiffeners as a practical measure on “working boats” – they needed to poke their heads into cramped spaces.  The cap badge design was worn from Summer 1942 and as late as March 1943; by September 1943, these cap badges were abolished by U.S. War Shipping Administration. In their place came the familiar stamped-metal USMS officer cap badge. The seaman on the left has the USMS rank of ensign; however, he may also be wearing company-provided shoulder boards indicating him as a junior mate (probably a third mate).

The Army Transport Service (ATS) officer – fourth from left – is wearing an older embroidered ATS cap badge in use early in Second World War and up until August 1945. For most of the war, the U.S. Army’s fleet was divided into three divisions: ATS, Harbor Boat Service (HBS), and Inter-Island Service; each with minute gradations of insignia. This individual is an Engineer, Mate, or a Pilot in HBS as is evident by his black patent-leather chinstrap.

The merchant seamen fifth and sixth from the left are wearing the aforementioned USMS cap badge. The former is distinctly wearing the shoulder boards of a second mate in industry. The latter is wearing the shoulder boards of a USMS Lieutenant (Junior Grade); his boards appear to have the rope-ringed shield device of the USMS.

Second row

The merchant seaman in the first position in the second row is wearing a USMS cap badge.  His khaki coat lacks shoulder boards. If it is lacking the loops for shoulder boards, it would be of the same cut as a Chief Petty officer or a U.S. Army officer; however, he is not wearing insignia of any kind. Often, junior stewards also wore the same cut of coat.

The U.S. Navy ensign – second from left – is wearing the post-May 1941 stamped-metal U.S. naval officer cap badge. As a design note, prior to 1941, officer cap badges were primarily embroidered. On his collar are ensign bars; U.S. naval officers were authorized to wear pin-on rank devices on khaki starting in May 1941. His shoulder boards indicate the same.

 

The merchant seaman third from the left and the individual forth from the left both wearing Maritime Service insignia at a crossroads. On the left, the seaman is wearing the cap badge of either a USMS training cadre or an individual who enrolled as an officer in the USMS; his shoulder boards are of an older style current from 1939 through 1943. His shoulder boards indicate he is a commander in the USMS; note USMS rank and shipboard position were sometimes not synchronous – for instance: a master of a ship might wear four stripes as part of maritime tradition, but tonnage of the ship would determine his appointed USMS rank – below a cut-off, and they may be appointed as a commander. Interestingly enough, his cap’s visor is without embellishment – something he rates as a commander.

The individual to the right is wearing the cap badge of a District Instructor as established in January 1942. In March 1943, it became the cap device of all USMS officers. If his shoulder boards were fully visible, having a USMS shield encircled by a cable, an anchor in a wreath, or U.S. Maritime Commission shield would determine his organization. His shoulder boards indicate he is a captain or master. Of interest is the central device of his cap badge; it is a U.S. Maritime Commission shield, it originally indicated the wearer is responsible for individuals enrolled in the U.S. Maritime Commission Cadet Corps or is a Cadet Officer within the same. On his visor are “scrambled eggs” or “chicken guts” (as the saying goes) – a decorative device reserved those who hold the rank of commander and above (e.g. commander, captain, commodore or admiral).  He’s probably the “old man.”

The seaman fifth from the left is wearing a USMS cap badge current 1942 through March 1943. His shoulder boards indicate his rank as a captain – USMS or otherwise. Of interest is his cap’s visor – it is unadorned. He may be a Chief Engineer or a surgeon; both could wear captain boards, but not being in a command role, often did not wear “scrambled eggs.” This was a tradition often followed aboard merchant ships of the period; in 1944, USMS regulations explicitly illustrated and captioned commander and above as those who could wear “scrambled eggs.”

Around this time, there was a culture shift in the industry. On the eve of the Second World War (and I would argue the sentiment may be the roots of Zombo culture at Kings point), within the maritime community, there were those who took the rank and role of their station seriously; they would wear the lace, the buttons, and the uniform to keep the appearance of authority. Whereas there were others who saw the trappings of the military and pomp as a hindrance to doing work. In the latter group would be the radicalized seamen who survived the bloody union clashes of the 1930s or simply those who saw value in work itself.  If this were the case, he might be the “old man” and the previous fellow a surgeon who’s just thrilled to be in uniform.

Last in the row is a U.S. Army infantry captain replete with a marksman badge and several ribbons.  A comment in the article which accompanies the photograph states most succinctly:

My dad (may he rest in peace) was a WWII and Korean War Army officer and he wore that uniform back then — green brown (called olive drab) jacket and light khaki trousers that he derisively referred to as ‘pinks.’

First Row

The USMS officer first from the left is wearing the same USMS cap badge as his peers. Of interest is his wearing shoulder boards of the USMS circa March 1943. He may be a newly-minted deck officer straight from a USMS Officer school. His rank is ensign.

The USMS officer third from the right is wearing USMS “Administrative officer” purser shoulder boards; these staff corps shoulder boards first appeared in March 1943, with the design later abolished in 1944.

The Cadet-midshipmen – second and fourth from left – are both wearing cap badges that came out in 1939 and abolished in July 1944; but their shoulder boards are circa January 1942 and are those of a fourth-class cadet-midshipman. The individual on the left is a cadet in the Deck program, and the individual on the right is on the Engine program. Among the merchant seamen, the design of their shoulder boards – down to the securing bodkin – has remained relatively unchanged in design up through the Vietnam War era.

The context of the photograph revolves around the presence of the cadet-midshipmen. I suspect this photograph was probably taken aboard a troop ship prior to them shipping out. The clue to this is cadet-midshipmen invariably shipped-out in pairs: one in the Deck program and the other in the Engine program. If they were visiting a ship, they would probably be section-mates of the same program. The junior U.S. Navy officer may be leading a U.S. Navy Armed Guard unit and the U.S. Army officer may be a passenger aboard the ship. The Royal Navy Chief Petty officers are incongruous and might be passengers. Aboard Army Transport Service ships; uniform standards were fairly lax through the war – until they were not (probably in response to crews in the photograph, the Seattle Port of Embarkation published a suggestion for mariners to follow).

The season is invariably early Spring. Everyone is wearing working khaki coats, and some are wearing white socks – white cotton socks. If it were cold, the socks would be black, and the officers in the back would wear something a bit heavier than an overcoat. If the cadets were doing a regular training regimen, this photograph would have been taken just after the end of their preliminary training – if we go on the shoulder board design hints.

I would wager the photograph was taken in March or April 1943 given the overlap in the insignia worn by all the merchant seamen and evidence of the transitional insignia that lasted at most a year.

Curiously enough, the same photo recently reappeared with its back displayed. It looks like my hunches were correct. The photograph was taken in April 1943. My analysis was spot-on, except for the 1st Asst.; I thought him a steward – this was by virtue of his lack of insignia!

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Shipboard Organization and Stewards

united states lines.The opening chapter of the fifth edition of The Blue Jacket’s Manual United States Navy (1917), devotes some 28 pages on the subject of “Discipline and Duty.” Afterward, the first section of the book meanders into opportunities of specialization, courts-martial, and customs. Only in the second and third sections are seamanship topics covered. The emphasis of the first section of the book underscores the fact that the smooth functioning of a man-of-war depends upon order, hierarchy, and the clear indication and compartmentalization of purpose; the same is also true to some extent on merchantmen.

In Navy parlance, the Commanding Officer is the head of the ship; all officers and seamen report to him. Just as a ship is compartmentalized, so is its hierarchy. Officers have rank and specialty; each carrying with it a certain grade of responsibility – sometimes mirroring ability and time in the service. In the U.S. Navy there is a small constellation officer types: line, restricted line, limited duty, corps, and warrant. Positions among sailors (Ratings in the British Royal Navy and Enlisted in the United States) are known by “pay grade” or rank; and “rate” or field of specialty. Enlisted sailors may be: recruits, seamen, petty and chief petty officers. There are also officers-in-training: midshipmen at the Naval Academy, Navy ROTC midshipmen, and individuals in Officer Candidate School (aviation or otherwise).

To some extent, merchant navies and large commercial fleets have historically mirrored these relationships among personnel, although not as elaborate or seemingly baroque. At the apogee of the U.S. shipping industry in the 1940s, most seamen found themselves licensed and arrayed in various divisions and departments. For example, a U.S. Liberty Ship during the Second World War usually held these Departments and rates:

Master: Commanding Officer and Purser (who doubled as Pharmacist)
Deck: Chief Officer, 2nd Officer, 3rd Officer, 3rd Junior Officer, Deck Cadet, Boatswain, Carpenter, Able Seaman (6), Ordinary Seaman (3)
Radio: Radio Operator, Jr. Radio Operator
Engine: Chief Engineer, 1st Asst. Engineer, 2nd Asst. Engineer, 3rd Asst. Engineer, Deck Engineer, Engine Cadet, Oiler (3), Watertender (3), Fireman/Stoker (3), Wiper (3)
Steward’s: Chief Steward, 1st Cook, 2nd Cook & Baker, Galley Utilityman, Messman (4)

Over time, and especially during the late 19th and early 20th century, the British, German and American navies developed systematic indicators of personal shipboard position. These found manifestation in cuff lace, buttons, badges and various devices. The British led the way in defining this symbolic language and shipboard organization; the United States followed, reaching full elaboration in the period preceding the Second World War. Both the U.S. and British navies relegated rate to the arm; the U.S. Government marine – comprising of the Coast Guard, Coast and Geodetic Survey, Public Health Service and Maritime Service – followed the lead of the U.S. Navy.  Interestingly, the U.S. Army Transport Service, and not the U.S. Maritime Service nor the U.S. Navy provided its Petty and Chief Petty Officers with hats designating rate. In the latter two services, rate resided on sleeve or collar; it is an academic exercise for the reader to determine what is most important to the various services – shipboard trade or rank.

Woven or stamped, as follows is a cursory list of some common devices: stars and fouled anchors for deck officers and boatswains, carpenter’s rules and axes for ship’s carpenters, quills and keys for clerks and yeomen, globes for electricians, sparks for wireless (radio) operators, propellers or cogs for engineers and machinists, ship’s wheels for helmsmen, batons and swords for masters-at-arms, and increscent (a crescent moon with the points facing dexter) for stewards and commissary personnel. The latter insignia has the unique distinction of being silver in color for stewards in almost all foreign and merchant navies, and in the U.S. Army Transport Service.

Silver and gold feature prominently in not only in maritime rank insignia but in all U.S. military services. Following U.S. military insignia lore, “gold is worth more than silver, but silver outranks gold.” This is due to the fact that the U.S. Army decreed in 1832 that infantry colonels would wear gold eagles on an epaulet of silver and all other colonels would wear silver eagles on gold. When majors and lieutenant colonels received their leaves of rank, this tradition could not continue. It came to pass that silver leaves represented lieutenant colonels and gold, majors. However, the case of lieutenants differs: first lieutenants had been wearing silver bars for 80 years before second lieutenants had any bars at all; second lieutenants were granted a single gold bar in 1917. With the standardization of U.S. military insignia in the early 20th century, these insignia revisions applied to U.S. Navy officers. On naval uniforms – rank insignia notwithstanding – in particular, gold was applied to base elements of insignia, such as anchors on the U.S. Navy hat badge; and silver to mottos and symbols of the eagle and federal shield. Gold remained the province of officers and senior positions, whereas silver and pewter were relegated to the enlisted. Curiously, the motto “U.S.N.” on the U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer hat badge was silver, whereas the “U.S.N.” hat badge of a steward was gold. This follows the mentioned reversal of colors between officers and enlisted – with the steward belonging to a class attached to and not of officers.

In rank-based shipboard society, it is only at dinner hour that some rules
are suspended for the few – the stewards. During the Second World War, in the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Army sea services officers and men messed separately; furthermore, on British merchantmen at the time, officers and departments messed separately (as detailed by Lowery in Ultramarine). Up until the present-day, the U.S. Navy has the further distinction of having not only separate wardrooms and mess for officers and enlisted men, but also for Chief Petty Officers. By virtue of tradition, the latter have a separate galley serving portions greater in quantity and open later than those of their fellow sailors. Given the strict hierarchy aboard ship, and the stern rules banning enlisted personnel from the officers’ wardroom and chiefs’ mess, stewards and commissarymen transcend these strictures to serve food. An unauthorized sailor found in these spaces could find himself at Captain’s Mast or at court-martial and suffering harsh disciplinary proceedings (it also goes the opposite way; officers may not fraternize with enlisted sailors on or off duty; doing so, they face dismissal from the service). Since instant recognition is important aboard ship, a special hat with a distinct badge and often always white square-rig sailor uniform or special white blouse and duck trousers (even when the uniform of the day may be service dress blue) marks the steward apart.

The U.S. Army Transportation Service officer stewards have a tradition in their uniforms and insignia reaching to a time before even the color blue became a color associated with uniforms maritime. In pre-Enlightenment England, aristocratic lords gave their servants lead or pewter badges to sew onto their clothes to mark them as their own. From the 15th century onward, royalty in the British Isles distributed uniform suits of clothes to courtiers, as did leading bankers to all employees. In time, this became a practice of all British “great houses.” It is worth mentioning that these suits of clothes, although well made, denoted the wearer as not being a member of the aristocracy, with the visual cue of silver braid. It came to pass that a traditional livery color became silver. By the 19th century, officer stewards became a facet of shipboard life in the Royal Navy; as they were considered servants, their uniforms followed precedent. In time, stewards wore prestige items, such as coats and visor hats; albeit, with markers of their inferior status – servants although a class apart, needed to impart a pleasing image in the wardroom. Nineteenth-century British commercial liners, offering first-class passage to the monied, mirrored military fashion – which in itself was a reflection of aristocratic costume – in the clothing its officers, sailors, and stewards. The U.S. Army Transportation Service, born out of necessity during the Spanish-American War, built a fleet of ships larger than that of the U.S. Navy; some of the larger transports (considered “show boats”) ferried military personnel and U.S. diplomats to far-flung newly acquired U.S. possessions. The ships were manned by civilian personnel who wore uniforms following the fashion trends of the day: deck officers wore gold lace on their cuffs and stewards were accented in silver – as were their counterparts on the commercial liners. At the same time, the newly-imperial United States began to carry complements of Filipino nationals alongside African-American cooks as stewards onboard its ships. Taking this into consideration, ships could be construed as reproducing the “great house” tradition with colonials and second-class citizens filling menial roles.

After the Second World War, with the independence of the Philippines
and integration of the U.S. Navy, the servant status of stewards gradually faded away. In today’s U.S. Navy, the traditional steward is no more – he is a Culinary Specialist (cum Mess Managment Specialist in 2004).  Up until 1975, Stewards and Cooks were two separate ratings in the U.S. Navy, sharing much of the same responsibilities – with a difference.  At that time, the Steward’s Mate (SD) rating was abolished and combined with that of Commissary Specialist (CS) to form the Mess Management Specialist Rating. Prior, stewards served as cooks or bakers for officers’ mess; they also tidied-up officers’ quarters and in a subservient role, served meals in the wardroom. The Commissary Specialist (CS) did nothing but cook for enlisted personnel but in a more democratic fashion.

Old systems die hard, especially among those who enjoy a perceived, albeit subaltern privilege. Even with mandated rate reorganization, the older stewards did not wish to go into the crew’s galley, and by the same token the Commisarymen refused to enter the wardroom; in effect, the indoctrinated segregation held, and the two classes of men remained in their respective work areas.  However, in the 1960s the U.S. Navy instituted a practice of rotating seamen in and out of ships and shore stations in an effort to broaden once compartmentalized skill sets.  Men new to the rate shifted easily between both the wardroom and the galley – especially with the abolition of many of the steward’s servant duties; officers now shined their own shoes and made their own bunks.  However, despite the regulations and rate shuffling, the tradition of the “Tip system” remains; wherein an individual officer or CPO tips a “Mess Cook” to shine his shoes and tidy up his wardroom.  Moreover, with rate combination, the old mess cook system still applied to the wardroom with stewards merely renamed “Mess Attendants”. In the present day, with 90-day rotations, they still do menial chores such as cleaning the wardroom, running laundry to the ship’s laundry and maintaining “Officer Country.”  It is also worth noting that the 90-day “Mess Cook” does all the cleaning, and most of the serving in the cafeteria-style enlisted mess deck; he also hauls food from the storerooms and reefer decks to the galley.  These days, apparently galleymen require direction from outside the ranks – previously the province of Chief Steward – as a non-CS First Class Petty Officer – also assigned 90-days at a time – oversees the Mess Cooks; he is the Mess-Decks-Master-At-Arms. As a historical footnote, during battle, Stewards were stretcher bearers; and Commissarymen served in gun crews and firefighters; no longer.

Much can be said about the symbols worn by the stewards: from the 1930s onward, they wore the crescent over horizontal bars, their cook counterparts wore rank chevrons. With the institution of the rate in 1948, Commissarymen wore keys over a quill, and then in with rate integration, both badges changed to quills and a cookbook – the symbol of stewards in 1963.   As can be divined, over the decades, the rate has been dissolved and reconstituted, with various roles removed and added; including the loss of the traditional crescent.

The images found with this entry illustrate different examples of insignia worn by stewards aboard various types of ships. It is worth mentioning that the crescent symbol has been used throughout the U.S. military to denote food stores and cooks (and outhouses); this symbol can be traced to either represent a camp cook’s “crescent rolls” or the traditional heraldic symbol of “increase.”

References:
Jonathan Alexander and Paul Binski (editors), Age of Chivalry, Art in Plantagenet England, 1200-1400. Royal Academy/Weidenfeld & Nicholson: London, 1987, Cat 448

Jim Garamone, “Insignia: The Way You Tell Who’s Who in the Military” in Defense Link. U.S. Department of Defense: Washington D.C., November 1999.

Bureau of Naval Personnel, “Filipinos in the United States Navy.” Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center: Washington D.C., October 1976.

P & O Lines (The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company)
Catering Petty Officer.
Badge, 50mm diameter. Silver wire on wool backing.
Circa 1970s.

British Royal Navy hat insignia has the following pattern:

Tally – ratings.
Fouled anchor surrounded by a gold rope, surmounted by crown – petty officers
Fouled anchor surrounded by a gold rope and small wreath, surmounted by crown – chief petty officers.
Fouled anchor on oval, surrounded by a wreath, surmounted by crown – officers.

In this specific example, this is a private company, and they have employed the Royal Navy petty officer design for their own catering petty officers. In this case, a silver sun surrounded by an alternating band of blue and silver – blue and white being the traditional heraldic symbol for waves.

The British are noted for their fine craftsmanship in regard to nautical insignia; I have been hard-pressed to find a poorly made British item of insignia from the middle of the last century.


P&O Lines (The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company)
Catering Officer.
Badge, 65mm x 45mm. Silver wire on wool backing.
Circa 1970s.

This hat badge follows the classic British passenger liner steward badge design of taking an element of the deck officer’s hat badge, enlarging and turning it silver. In this example, the P & O deck officer’s badge is the setting sun on heraldic waves surmounted by a fouled anchor.

This particular badge was issued prior to 1973, when P & O hat badges took on their current configuration.



Military Sea Transport Service
Commissary Chief Petty Officer Badge.
35mm x 24mm , Cupro-nickel.
Hallmark, Gemsco A.G.O. G-2 . Circa 1953-1963.

The US Army Transport Service and US Navy Transport Service merged at the end of the Second World War to form the Military Sea Transport Service. This organization came under the purvue of the US Navy. In the mid-1960s, the service changed its name to the Military Sealift Command. Throughout each of its permutations, the MSTS/MSC retained the insignia of the ATS with slight modifications. With the change of MSTS to MSC, the crescent flipped.

This silver crescent is worn by commissary officers as a collar device or by Chief Petty officers as within a wreath as a hat device. The old days of woven steward’s hat badges are no more. The hallmark is consistent with Institute of Heraldry (IOH) manufacturer’s numbers; in this case 1953-1963 – often a “-N” will mean that the Navy approved the insignia.


US Army Transport Service
Commissary Chief Petty Officer woven hat badge.
Silver thread on wool backing; attached to mohair band. No synthetics.
Device, 70mm x 40mm.
Circa Second World War.

During the Second World War, standardization was secondary to getting boots on the ground. In the specific case of the Army Transport Service/Transportation Corps – Water Division, the Mariners were civilian, therefore were not overtly compelled to adhere to uniform standards.

Men did hold rank and rate aboard ship, and the distinctions were subtle. Chief Petty Officers wore visor hats with their rate on a hat badge. Unauthorized, but worn devices were woven. Issued devices were metal. In terms of steward hat insignia, I have noted three variations: silver-aluminum thread, yellow thread with small gold foil devices and stamped metal wreaths with un-affixed silver crescents.

As a means of identification: ATS/TC-WD wore silver steward insignia; that is silver crescents and also silver metal hat badges. The U.S. Maritime Service and War Shipping Administration wore gold steward insignia – following the U.S. Navy precedent.




United States Lines
Steward Department Officer hat badge.
Wreath, 70mm x 43mm. Brass with silver wash.
Flag, 25mm by 23mm. Enamel on brass.
Manufacturer: Gemsco. Circa Second World War.

This hat badge can be definitively dated to the Second World War by the Gemsco hallmark on the reverse; the hallmark is Gemsco surrounded by a wreath. The enamel flag design is consistent with USL flags from the period. Other variations of the flag, from the l931-1938 period have the USL initials – these flags are seen on badges throughout the Second World War. A sleek eagle design debuted in the mid-1950s, around the time of the SS United States launch.

Given the high quality and crisp detail of the stamped wreath, and fine enamel work, this hat badge was worn by a Chief Steward. The silver wash has flaked from the surface of the wreath but is especially present in areas of low relief.