Images taken from Eight Bells, the New York State Merchant Marine Academy (N.Y.S.M.M.A.) class book (later annual).
The Class of 1938-1939 wore program identifiers on both cuffs and the school symbol on the lapels of the blue coat. cadet officers wore one thin stripe of ¼-inch gold lace on their cuffs below the program symbol denoting officer rank. Each section had one upperclassman as an officer. And, each section had two upperclassmen as petty officers; they wore one or two thin vertical stripes of ⅛-inch gold lace above the program symbol on their left cuff – these were about two inches in length. Moreover, they wore crows on the right sleeve of their blue jumper. Buglers wore a bugle symbol in the left sleeve. The chevrons were of gold, and either two or three in number. Dress white jumpers were worn without ornamentation. Dress white chocker-collar uniforms were worn without ornamentation.
It is important to note the radical change in how petty officers and class are noted on the cuffs of the service dress blue coats and jumpers between the class of 1938 and 1939, and 1939. At any given point in time, there were two classes in training prior to the Second World War and later three under the guidance of the United States Maritime Commission in late 1940.
The major difference in the Class of 1939 came in the form of class identifiers. Upperclassmen wore a single oblique stripe on their left cuff of ½-inch lace. Petty officers wore crows on the right sleeve of both their blue coat and jumper. Cadet officers now wore stripes of ½-inch lace as well on both cuffs. Program identifiers remained in the same location. The other uniform configurations remained the same.
The class of 1940 followed the precedent of the class of 1939.
In 1941, white chocker-collar uniforms now were worn with shoulder boards; the configuration was such that they had the school symbol outboard and the program identifier inboard – for engineers, a single propellor blade was inboard.
Galleries
Class of 1938-1939 (April)
Class of 1939 (October)
Class of 1940 (October)
note: In none of the class books from 1939-1941 are pin-ups present.