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References for the Collector

U.S. Maritime Service Commissioned and Warrant Officer hat
Winter hat; navy blue wool with wicker frame, ½-in. wide. gold bullion chinstrap and two 22½-ligne gilt cap screws.  (note: if strap is ¼-in., hat would be that of a warrant officer).
Circa Second World War.

It is one thing to collect, and another to actually know what one is collecting. As follows is a reference bibliography of use to collectors of Second World War period maritime insignia; I owe a great debt of gratitude to Herbert “Sarge” Booker for sharing with me his archive of The Crow’s Nest as well as placing me in contact with Rudy Barsuto, Steve Soto, and Dave Collar. Each of these individuals has proven an excellent correspondent in matters of maritime insignia.

Some of the references below deserve a bit of an introduction.  The Crow’s Nest is mainly a pictorial review in zine format shared among aficionados of maritime insignia and self-published by Sarge; in its various issues are India ink drawings done by Sarge complemented with photographs of various insignia and charts from uniform manuals; it is an interesting zine the likes of which I have never seen before (and perhaps never again).  Of particular interest are the self-published monographs by Steve Soto and Rudy Basurto; they synthesize and order collections.  In regard to Insignia by Mr. Basurto, it is a singular work that presents civilian insignia – it is a bit loose on time period, but most of the illustrations are from around the Second World War; Sarge was the artist, designer, and typesetter of study – he insisted I make this work available on this site.

Works that may be downloaded or purchased online have their titles in bold.

Rudy Basurto & Herbert Hillary “Sarge” Booker, 2nd
Insignia of America’s Little Known Seafarers, 2nd Ed. Privately Printed, nd.
Insignia of America’s Little Known Seafarers, 3rd Ed. (edited and revised by Steve Soto and Cynthia Soto).  Privately Printed, 2008.
N.B. May be purchased by contacting Mr. Soto.

Herbert Hillary “Sarge” Booker, 2nd
The Crow’s Nest #1 (Summer 1992).
The Crow’s Nest #2 (Autumn 1992).
The Crow’s Nest #3 (Winter 1992).
The Crow’s Nest #4 (New Year’s Special Issue – 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #5 (Summer 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #6 (Mid-Summer 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #7 (Autumn 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #8 (Special 1993 Encyclopedia Edition).
The Crow’s Nest #9 (Fall 1993).
The Crow’s Nest #10 (1994 New Year’s Special).
The Crow’s Nest #11 (Spring 1994).
The Crow’s Nest #11 (Spring 1994 – The Issue That Never Was).
The Crow’s Nest #12 (Summer 1994).
The Crow’s Nest #13 (Fall 1994).
Speciality and Distinguishing Marks: U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Maritime Service, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Public Health Service, 3rd Revision.  Privately Printed, 1996.

Dave Collar
“Insignia of the Army Transportation Service in World War II.” ASMIC: The Trading Post October-December 1994: 29-43.
“Insignia of the United States Maritime Service, World War II.” ASMIC: The Trading Post April-June 1995.
“Insignia of the United States Shipping Board.” ASMIC: The Trading Post  October-December 1996.

William K. Emerson
“Section XIII. The Army’s Navy: Chapter Thirty-Six.  Army Transport Service and Harbor Boat Service” in Encyclopedia of United States Army Insignia and Uniforms. Norman, Oklahoma:  University of Oklahoma Press, 1996. 331-352.

Steve Soto & Cynthia Soto
A collector’s guide to the History, Uniforms and Memorabilia of the U.S. Merchant Marine and Army Transport Service during World War II. Privately Printed, 1996 (revised 2008).
N.B. May be purchased by contacting Mr. Soto.

Joseph J. Tonelli
Visor hats of the United States Armed Forces: 1930-1950. Atglen, Pennsylvania:  Schiffer Publications, 2003.
US Military Cap Insignia. Website with Joe’s (always growing) collection.

Jeff Warner
“U.S. Merchant Marine” in U.S. Navy Uniforms in World War II Series; Weapons, Equipment, and Insignia: Submarine Service, PT Boats, Coast Guard, other Sea Services. Atglen, Pennsylvania:  Schiffer Publications, 2008.

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Insignia Houses

Where have all the insignia manufacturers of the American Merchant Marine managing operators gone? Long passed are the days of enamel flags on high-pressure caps, and so too is true for their makers. Through complex mergers and acquisitions, tools that once struck these diminutive flags found their way to the scrap heap or in the hands of other insignia houses.

GEMSCO of New York under the Elkies family once manufactured a majority of American Merchant Marine steamship company cap flags. The company was established in 1881 and later incorporated as Gordon, Elkies Military Supply Company, Inc. on 31 July 1934 with the State of New York, and in less than a month’s time re-registered as GEMSCO, Inc. on 8 August 1934 – although an abbreviation for the original company’s name, it was implied that it was an abbreviation for the trademark “General Embroidery & Military Supply Co., Inc.” which hid the company’s Eastern European roots. GEMSCO was a one-stop shop for all embroidered and metal insignia items. In time, as was a common practice among insignia houses, GEMSCO subcontracted out most of their production. Enamel flags went to The Reynolds Co. of East Providence, Rhode Island.

The period of mass cap flag manufacture was relatively short-lived in the United States – they had their heyday from the mid-1930s through the late 1940s. Until the 1930s, enamel work was not common for maritime insignia in the United States, but was widespread throughout the British shipping industry. The 1930s saw a shift in insignia styles, first with the Chapman-run United States Lines copying White Star Line’s uniform motifs, and then Dollar and Matson. Eventually, most shipping companies had an enamel flag on their employees’ caps – it was almost requisite for doing business as a serious company; along with the stock certificates with a steamship, a house flag, and buttons with said flag. This insignia innovation continued through the Second World War with GEMSCO providing the bulk of blue water shipping’s cap flags.

Style and economics brought an end to cap flags. Once an item worn by all, many mariners opted to wear their Government-issue cap eagles over cap flags while others switched to cheaper embroidered cap badges. GEMSCO provided the latter first from looms in New York, and then New Jersey. Notable exceptions were Ibrantsen, American Export, and United States Lines which continued to issue them through the 1950s and 1960s. With the collapse of the American Merchant Marine industry in the late 1960s, the market for maritime insignia items was no longer profitable, and their specialized manufacture ceased. In the case of GEMSCO, the company realigned its business during the 1970s with Denmark Military Equipment (D.M.E.) eventually buying Reynolds in the 1980s. Denmark operated Reynolds as the Topper Division of D.M.E. for about a decade, at the tail end of which they closed the East Providence location and subsequently, the tooling for cap flags disappeared – unfortunately, I am unaware as to the range of tools lost during the closure. GEMSCO went bankrupt in 1992 and went into re-organization; it decided to pursue contracts in the law enforcement market. Enamel cap flags are now created from old tools for collectors.

Below is a list of current insignia houses, from where their tools came, and the original owner. If the tools have since been discarded, I have indicated as such. After the list, I have provided vendors (Sources) who offer original or restrikes of the cap flags – and what flags they have in stock (current November 2022). As of 2022, Armour Insignia is the holder of most tools.


Argonaut Line (Armour restrike)

Tool Repositories

Armour Insignia (Nevada)

ex-Town & Country which acquired the stock of:
ex-Robbins

  • Mallory
  • Mowinckel

ex-Denmark Military Equipment [as Topper DME] (New York) which acquired the stock of:
ex-The Reynolds Co. (Lincoln/East Providence, Rhode Island) subcontractor for GEMSCO (New York):

  • Alcoa
  • American Export
  • American Export Isbrandtsen
  • American President
  • American Republic
  • American-Hawaiian
  • Argonaut
  • Black Diamond
  • Brovig
  • Central Gulf
  • Everett Orient
  • Farrell
  • Grace
  • Gulf & South American
  • Isbrandtsen
  • Joklar
  • Kerr
  • Knoch
  • Luckenbach
  • Matson
  • Moore-McCormack
  • Olsen & Uglestad
  • Panama Railroad
  • Rasmussen
  • Socony
  • Standard
  • States Marine
  • United Fruit
  • United States Lines

ex-GEMSCO:

  • U.S. Army Floating Plant & Dredges

ex-International Insignia which acquired the stock of Krew
ex-Krew:

  • The Great Lakes Dock & Dredge

ex-Blackintron:

  • Southern Pacific (Golden Gate Ferries)

ex-Blackintron which acquired the stock of Braxmar
ex-Charles G. Braxmar Co. (New York):

  • Hudson River Steam Navigation
  • New York Queens Ferry (NYQ)
  • Yonkers Ferry

☆ ☆ ☆

International Insignia (Providence, Rhode Island)

ex-Krew:

  • Hy-Line

☆ ☆ ☆

VH Blackinton (North Attleborough, Massachusetts)

current:

  • Cleveland Cliffs

ex-Charles G. Braxmar Co. (New York):

  • Clyde
  • J. H. Brown & Co.
  • Walter Runciman & Co. / Moor Line

ex-GEMSCO (New York) scrapped 1970s:

  • American Mail
  • Anchor
  • B&Y
  • Central American
  • Cunard
  • Dollar Line (Steward)
  • Dow Chemical
  • ET (Eastern Transport Co.)
  • Essberger
  • Munson
  • New York & Cuba
  • Nobco
  • Oceanic & Oriental
  • P&O
  • Panama Pacific & Bull
  • Standard
  • United States Lines
  • Ward
  • Waterman

Sources

When they’re gone, they’re gone… Below find dealers of Period – original cap flags – and only active dealer offering re-strikes.

Period

Joshua Segal of Lost Legions Militaria in Alexandria, Virginia (https://www.ebay.com/str/lostlegionsmilitaria) is the only known source of GEMSCO-manufactured United States Lines cap flags from the 1930s and early 1940s. His stock comes from the 1992 Army-Navy store close-out and liquidation sale.

☆ ☆ ☆

Stephen E. Lipski, based in New Jersey, is another merchant on eBay (https://www.ebay.com/sch/reatra05/m.html) who has some stock of original GEMSCO-manufactured cap badges. His stock comes from an Army-Navy store close-out about three decades ago. He offers:

  • American Export Lines
  • American President Lines
  • American-Hawaiian Steamship Company
  • Matson Lines
  • Panama Railroad Steamship Line

☆ ☆ ☆

For over a decade, Robert Steinberg of Pinback Paradise (https://www.ebay.com/str/pinbackparadise) in Medford, New Jersey has been offering the same two cap flags:

  • American President Lines
  • American-Hawaiian Steamship Company

His stock came from the buy-out of the stock of another dealer two decades ago.

Restrikes

Armour Insignia in Henderson, Nevada (http://armourinsignia.com/) has restrikes available of the following (November 2022):

  • American Export Line
  • American-Hawaiian Steamship Company
  • American President Lines
  • American-Export Isbrandtsen Lines
  • Argonaut
  • Grace Line
  • Great Lakes Dock & Dredge
  • Hudson River Steam Navigation
  • Isbrandtsen
  • Moore-McCormack Lines
  • New York Queens Ferry
  • Olsen & Uglestad
  • Southern Pacific Steamship Lines (via Blackinton)
  • Yonkers Ferry

Armour Insignia GEMSCO re-strikes are easy to differentiate from period cap badges – the planchets are a bit thicker and have no hallmark; from 1942 onward, GEMSCO hallmarked most of their badges.

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“abercrombie”

The summer before I went to college, I was not so worried about leaving home for the first time, I was concerned I did not have what it took to be a good Naval Officer. My doubts came when I received a letter about O-week. This was an orientation, I learned, about life as a Naval ROTC midshipman. I figured it would be a nice way to get to school early and get my bearings. The doubts came when I heard that it was some sort of boot camp where upperclassmen attempted to break-in lubbers. I thought I had it over all of them, since I lived in the Navy for my entire life.

I grew up in the shadow of my Grandfather who was a warrant officer and then LDO, and my step-father who was a chief and LDO in the Navy. Both of them came to the Navy from two different generations. The Navy of my Grandfather was a collegial place – he was in the submarine community. My stepfather’s Navy was bogged down in seemingly petty politics – of who said what at the wardroom table or “college boys” looking down on my stepfather because he did not have the formal education they had. From my perspective, a Naval Officer had dignity about them, were detail-oriented, and honorable to a fault. I felt as though I was a good fit for the role.

One of the first things we did at O-week was to get our photographs taken for ID cards. Name placards were made and we were handed a pile of clothes. My first evening at college was spent polishing my shoes. I taught others around me how to do it since I had been polishing shoes for years. We were also shown how to iron our khakis. I too had this down from years of practice.

The PT in the morning was annoying but bearable. The marching up and down sidewalks in tight formation felt silly. In the classroom, we were constantly being yelled at for the smallest of mistakes. One of my fellow inductees was reamed out for not knowing the NATO alphabet having only been told it once. I did lots of pushups because I called a fellow with a name plaque that read Moran, “moron.” He didn’t like that. I was forced to remove my name plaque and replace it with one emblazoned with the name “Abercrombie.” I had to spell it at a moment’s notice in the NATO alphabet. I never stumbled spelling ALPHA BRAVO ECHO ROMEO CHARLIE ROMEO OSCAR MIKE BRAVO INDIA ECHO – my childhood was spent staring at signal flags and studying the military.

I understood what they were attempting to do: to break me. Despite what might be called hazing, I was motivated to excel. They could not break me.

One evening, though, I realized I didn’t want to be part of the Navy, not this Navy. This realization came when I was sitting in my room and I overheard upperclassmen saying how they couldn’t wait to have a taste of fresh meat. As their conversation continued, I realized they were talking about a group of young women in our group and they went into lurid detail about how they planned on getting them drunk and showing them a “real man.” My head burned with anger. I knew I would not be able to bear being around other students referring to incoming first-year women as fresh meat. The next day, I gathered up the courage and told the unit’s CO I just didn’t have what it took and wished to separate from the unit. Later that afternoon, I gave the Yeoman all my uniforms and called my parents. I felt like a complete failure.

I was given a pair of boards by the Yeoman in parting. He thought I was a good kid. They were apparently antique.

In retrospect, I should not have left on some made-up excuse, in that I didn’t feel I was cut out for the Navy. I should have told the CO I was disgusted with my classmates and I found their comments abhorrent. I should have been an ally to the young women who were participating in O-week. However, I wasn’t mentally prepared to say what I needed to say. What I heard instead were shades of my stepfather’s comments toward women and this was a culture not for me.

A couple of years after I left NROTC I bumped into a fellow midshipman. We chatted a bit, he was planning on becoming an aviator, and I was just accepted to grad school. When I told him a regretted dropping out, he told me I would never have made it anyway – my problem was that I was too sensitive and I needed to toughen up. The Navy had no place for an officer like me. I asked him about the young women in the program – in a low voice he told me one of them was sexually assaulted, but it was all hush-hush.

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U.S. Naval Reserve Insignia reprise

U.S. Naval Reserve Insignia reprise

Sometimes the U.S. Navy doesn’t quite get it right. Back in the 1970s CNO Admiral Zumwalt embarked on a noble experiment: for men beards and sideburns were allowed and crackerjacks were removed from an enlisted sailor’s sea chest. A bluejacket could sport sideburns reaching the end of his earlobes, and everyone got to wear a reefer and a combination cap! Regarding the latter, career Petty Officers clamored for their traditional uniforms back despite the professional appearance the new uniforms promoted. In the early eighties, the CNO had enough of weird beards and mandated them shaved off because they didn’t work with the Navy-issue Mark V gasmasks.

When the CNO announced the retirement of the USNR badge in 2011 and further singling out (Kings Point) midshipmen as not able to wear its replacement, the Academy authorized its return, albeit in a different form. No one complained – then again who would listen? For an organization bent on tradition and group cohesion, the U.S. Navy got it wrong with the SSWO badge (and the anacronym is terrible).

(See the link above.)

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S/T Ocean Eagle

In case you’re curious about the header image, that is the Liberian Tanker Ocean Eagle sinking in the harbor off of San Juan, Puerto Rico on 3 March 1968.

  • NOAA Report
  • Office of Naval Research Oceanic Biology Program Report

    • The accident was devastating to local ecosystems as it was the most severe oil spill experienced in U.S. territorial waters up to that time; in its wake came improved methods for containing spills and improved tanker safety practices.

    I have gone through various U.S. government publications, however they are careful to remove references to owners and the name of the ship’s captain. If anyone might know of the shipping company that manned the ship at the time of the accident, I would be keen to obtain their hat badge.

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    British Petroleum Shipping Co.

    British Petroleum Shipping Co. Officer hat badge
    Metal, gold wire and colored thread on wool backing.
    Circa 1960s.

    With contemporary events unfolding regarding the catastrophe in the Gulf, it is worth pausing for a moment to think about transport of petroleum products. One of the safest, economical and most expedient methods to transport liquid petroleum and its derivatives is via ship. In fact, about 34% of all worldwide seaborne trade is devoted to the transport of oil. This entry is the first of several regarding oil tanker fleets and officer insignia.

    British Petroleum was originally formed as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in 1909 to exploit oil deposits in Persia. The British Tanker Co. Ltd started in 1915 to handle sea transport and achieve a contained, integrated oil company model akin to its American counterparts. The parent group was renamed the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1935. In 1951 the company’s Iranian assets were nationalized, a crisis partly resolved by negotiation in 1954 when the company was re-named British Petroleum. In 1955, the fleet was re-christened BP Shipping. During the 1970s BP extended its oil interests to the North Sea and Alaska, and eventually moved to major oil fields in the Middle East and Gulf of Mexico. The fleet and its manning remained in the province of BP until 1986 when staffing went the way of a modern crimping system known as “agency manning” concurrent with BP re-flagging its fleet under various flags of convenience.

    At present, BP Shipping is based out of Singapore and operates a fleet of 77 vessels and charters an additional 115. Its vessels are comprised of crude oil tankers, product tankers and LNG (liquefied natural gas) carriers. In its employ are some 2300 mariners and 600 onshore personnel. In all, 50% of BP’s maritime cargo is carried on these ships worldwide. BP remains one of the few major oil producing corporations that continues to man a fleet under its own house flag.

    British Petroleum Shipping hat badges may be found in three distinct variations:
    1. 1915-1926. Merchant Navy-style hat badge with the current house flag – a red flag with a horizontal white band expanded at the centre in the form of a circle, the band bearing the black letters “BTC”, the “T” being larger. I have read of the red being bordered in black; however I have yet to see an example.

    2. 1926-1955. Similar to the illustrated hat badge, with then current house flag – a St. George’s flag with a green diamond in the center – with a golden lion passant gardant above all.

    3. 1955-1968 (present?). The illustrated badge; the golden lion replaced by a red lion rampant.

    Images and analysis of several of the older badges may be found here.

    References:
    Bill Harvey, BP Tankers: A Group Fleet History. London: Greenhill Books, 2006.

    British Petroleum Shipping Co. Officer hat badge, obverse
    Metal, gold wire and colored thread on wool backing.
    Circa 1960s.

    In terms of British hat badges, the BP Shipping follows the British standard design of house flag as central device, Royal Navy wreath and Tudor maritime crown surmounting all. Over time, the embroidered leaves have grown thicker; and catalogs may denote the badge as belonging to the agency placing Deck and Engineering officers aboard BP vessels – Chiltern Maritime Ltd.

    British Petroleum Shipping Co. Officer hat badge, detail.

    British Petroleum Shipping Co. Officer hat badge, variation.
    Circa 1950s.

    Note the bronze-toned Tudor crown and the British Merchant Navy-style wreath.

    British Petroleum Shipping Co. Chief Petty Officer hat badge, obverse.
    Metal, gold wire and colored thread on wool backing.
    Circa 1960s.

    British Petroleum Shipping Co. Chief Petty Officer hat badge, detail.

    British Petroleum Tanker Co. Ltd.
    House Flag.
    914.4 x 1422.4 mm
    Circa 1955-67

    The house flag of the BP Tanker Co. Ltd. On a white field, there is a red St. George’s cross with a green diamond in the center, bearing a red lion, rampant. This design was in use from 1955 to 1968 and was re-introduced in 1984. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The lion is printed. A rope and two Inglefield clips is attached.

    British Petroleum Tanker Co. Ltd.
    House Flag.
    Circa 1940s.

    The house flag of the BP Tanker Co. Ltd. from the 1940s. On a white field, there is a red St George’s cross with a green diamond in the center, bearing a golden lion passant gardant. This design was in use from 1926 to 1955. The flag is made of a wool and cotton bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The lion is printed.