Merchant Navy uniform world war 1, can you ID this uniform please?

[ are you sure it want taken in one of these studios where they provide whatever you want to dress up as. .
Cheers JWS[/QUOTE]
JWS
What an interesting point, but having catalogued 100 of these photos ( mostly army) they have all been dressed in authentic uniforms, often fresh out of the tailors before they went to the Front. There was another MN photo and that was White Star line, so easy to recognise.
Angela

#10 That is not a. Bombay Basher Lewis that is The standard MN cap badge. The Bombay basher was just that bought in Bombay and had the near enough dimensions of the RN officers badge. I made a mistake in my memory of the white backed braid and you are quite correct. Re comments of purser, I went 50 years and only sailed once with such. He had nothing to do with food apart from eating it. He started life as a writer and finished up as a cargo purser, he was just extra ballast of what I saw. He was an ex national serviceman and purely a paperwork man. Looked after the cargo manifests and refused to do anything else, usual story not my job. Would imagine today he didn't have one. Cheers JWS

Yeah John I know it is the standard Merchant Navy cap badge , but I always heard it referred to a Bombay Spread. Perhaps one of the reasons Bombay is in my head is seeing as India was regular trading distination and ships in those days would load or discharge for weeks on the Indian coast, tailors would come on board and measure you up for uniforms, just a thought. I know most of my Whites were made by Jackie Tailor Hong Kong, I verly good tailor I double stitch everything not Harrly tailor , him no good, igive you verly good plice. Every trip you would get a new set of whites , two or three shirts and a couple of suits, which by the way you would not have been seen dead in ashore in the UK lol.

The gold leaves on the Bombay basher were spread out like the RN leaves. Used to have one in my youth, it must have flown away sometime or other. Same as the MN uniform if had to carry always wanted it to be doeskin, today is usually just a fine serge and the cheapest can find. That is if it is insisted on. Cheers JWS.

Last time I wore full blues was in 2008. As I was standing by LNG contruction for a joint BP/CLISCO (chinese company) also doing the sea trails and naming ceremony CLISCO supplied new blues. I had more gold braid on that uniform than an American admiral, 3 gold & purple strips + a propeller on each sleeve but also on the shoulders of the jacket they had added Epaulettes the same as what was on the sleeves to top it all of a cap which was like a massive plate. Looked a right ejjit in that get up.

Last time for me was 1991. It was either that or top hat and tails. Was the lesser of two evils. Better Popeye than the mad hatter. JWS. If Cappy is reading this will be saying they are like 2 fish wives talking about the last time they slept with their husbands. That's a long time to be a monk. JWS

I preferred my uniform personally especially out in the tropics somewhere swinging from a bosun,s chair or a painting stage over the ships side covered in red lead or boot topping etc..... a pair of cut down denims and a pair of desert wellies { Flip Flops } Complete with a sweat band or knotted hanky, Always worked for me the old Robinson Caruso look :bigsmile:

That wasn't uniform Ted, that was livery. Were probably covered that night with camphor oil to ease on the sunburn. Hope you made sure you got the proper treatment from someone with gold braid on a red background, and not some 2nd mate or Ch. stwd. Breathing beer fumes on you and cursing that their services were required ashore elsewhere and didn't want to be late. Did you not change your name when they made red lead taboo. Cheers JWS.

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Originally Posted by torry henderson

Ted,,ever do it naked,,,,birthday suit Attachment 23563

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torry, Believe it or not i have witnessed guys climbing aloft with there meat and veg hanging above my head yes. Terry. :th_thth5952deef:

I've only just looked at this. I have a few observations. The MN official uniform with the diamond in or on the stripe(s) was not an official uniform until AFTER WWI. It was instituted in order to commemorate the sacrifice of the MN during that conflict. Before the institution of the uniform and afterwards, some shipping companies used their own designs, and I think that is what is shown here. Having a close look at the cap badge, as far as possible, suggests that it is the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (house flag surrounded by laurel wreath). It is NOT British India, which used a figure of Britannia within its wreath. Many companies used straight stripes without curl or diamond (Cunard were a prime example at the time, as was BISN). The colours denoting the various branches were originally in use in the Royal Navy and did not disappear from RN uniform until after WWII. The only RN officers who have colour on their stripes nowadays are medical and dental officers (in order to comply with the Geneva Conventions) and officers of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors, who are civilians but get mobilised in wartime. The colours were copied by the MN and remain in use (with some changes) in some companies.

Hope this helps.