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Thread: world war two rank marking

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    Talking world war two rank marking

    Can anyone help identify if these are WW2 and the rank of the officer?
    Last edited by Peter Cherrington; 14th June 2019 at 09:19 PM. Reason: pictures are poor

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    I am told they are world war two but they have not got the diamonds on? I believe this may depend on the ship/ employers ? please can anyone supply me with any information.
    Last edited by Peter Cherrington; 14th June 2019 at 09:22 PM.

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    Quote Originally Posted by peter cherrington View Post
    I am told they are world war two but they have not got the diamonds on? I believe this may depend on the ship/ employers ? please can anyone supply me with any information.
    Rank 2nd mate
    Braid Company braid

    Govt in 1940 asked companies to stop using company braid and only use B O T braid (the diamond braid) during the remainder of WWII. As most vessels were by now painted grey everywhere or dazzle painted, and vessels names were painted out at bows and stern (they had name bridge boards whilst in port for identification) they were difficult to read at sea from a distance and most vessels unshipped them, as they flew signal letters in convoy for identification purposes. These measures were taken so to not assist in U-Boats identifying vessels they had sunk. Whether it worked or not is debatable, as we as seamen in the old days knew what company a ship belonged to by numerous methods, rake and shape of the funnel, height and rake of masts, shape of mast tables, accommodation blocks, for'd, midships and poop etc, derricks and rigs, we could, invariably, even tell where the ship had been built by the aforementioned. All U-Boat captains had books of profiles of UK ships, they were easily available prior WWII at any chart suppliers and specialist book shops.

    We followed the same procedures in Suez '56 convoys
    Last edited by Ivan Cloherty; 14th June 2019 at 10:19 PM.

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    The green and gold stripes, without purple edges, are similar to 1st R/O in Brocklebanks. I've seen the same colours worn by electricians - also Brocks (if memory plays me right).
    Harry Nicholson

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    1st photo. Merchant Navy cap badge
    regards
    Brenda

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    Thanks for the reply I know the green is for the electricians, what is the !st R/O in Brocklebanks? was it a company? what does R/O stand for?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thanks for the reply does that mean then that these are pre 1940 marking or did they discontinue using the BOT after the war? my other question is, is the braid different on these boards to the BOT other than it not using diamonds?

    Thanks great reply.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thanks any comments on the epaulettes? I know they are MN just wanted to confirm their age?

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    Got the Brocklebanks it was a line that operated from Liverpool and Whitehaven,

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    Radio Officer = R/O. I wore those double stripes, with green between, as r/o with Thos & Jno Brocklebanks SNC 1959-1961. Don't know if they went back to pre-war. Brocks was the world's oldest shipping co. and one time privateers out of Whitehaven. They absorbed Wells line and eventually merged with Cunard. Their run was Liverpool, Red Sea, Bay of Bengal, Southern USA
    Harry Nicholson

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    Quote Originally Posted by peter cherrington View Post
    Thanks for the reply I know the green is for the electricians, what is the !st R/O in Brocklebanks? was it a company? what does R/O stand for?

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thanks for the reply does that mean then that these are pre 1940 marking or did they discontinue using the BOT after the war? my other question is, is the braid different on these boards to the BOT other than it not using diamonds?

    Thanks great reply.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Thanks any comments on the epaulettes? I know they are MN just wanted to confirm their age?
    R/O stands for Radio Officer

    Most Liner companies reverted to their own braid system at the end of the war, some continued to use the diamond system, most tramp companies continued to use the diamond system, which made economic sense, as most junior officers in tramp companies switched companies until they found one they liked or where-in the promotion prospects were better and to keep swopping braid on uniforms would be an expensive option. Nothing wrong with the diamond system, it is very clear and still in use today.

    Nearly all companies Tramp or Liner had their own cap badges, Liner companies preferred their employees to wear the company badge (after the war) in Tramp companies it was always optional. I preferred the MN badge, but had to wear a company badge in the Liner company (only one) I sailed with, then back to the MN badge

    The epaulettes are MN, but their age could be anything

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    Default Re: world war two rank marking

    Thank you for all the replies there is some great information in the replies, i find the merchant navy far harder to research than the RN so thank you all for taking the time to reply to my post. If you have anymore information please add it on, great,
    thank you

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