Interesting Navy find...

[lethalLemon]

Has anyone seen the sleeve rank stitching actually employed on a real uniform for Nursing (maroon striping) and Medical Officers (red striping) after the Executive Curl returned? I'm curious to see how it looks - either on sleeve or shoulder boards/slip ons. Photos of Officers in said pattern uniform would be great! Thanks!

Photo attached for reference.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Has anyone seen the sleeve rank stitching actually employed on a real uniform for Nursing (maroon striping) and Medical Officers (red striping) after the Executive Curl returned? I'm curious to see how it looks - either on sleeve or shoulder boards/slip ons. Photos of Officers in said pattern uniform would be great! Thanks!

Photo attached for reference.

Have seen it on the shoulder boards, looks just like it did before except it now has the executive curl.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Have seen it on the shoulder boards, looks just like it did before except it now has the executive curl.

Actually JJT the medical branch shoulder boards had a maroon background before the EC but it was very dark so you may not have noticed it.

 

[Pusser]

A slight correction:

Medical officers (i.e. physicians) have scarlet "distinction cloth" while all other officers of the medical branch (i.e. pharmacists, nurses, etc) have maroon.

Until 1955 all RCN officers, with the exception of the Executive Branch (modern day MARS officers) wore distinction cloth (e.g. white for Supply, purple for Engineering, etc.).  The practice was stopped largely due to an increasing number of specialist branches, but no corresponding increase in distinguishable colours of cloth.

 

[Blackadder1916]

The distinction cloth is nothing new.  If I recall correctly, the current Surg Gen (Commodore Hans Jung) had the scarlet between his (LCdr) stripes when we were in Baden in 92-93, but that may have been in advance of official approval.  His photo on the DSA biography page, however does not show any distinction cloth and is still without the executive curl.  Two other senior medical branch pers in navy uniform are also without curl in their photos but do show the distinction cloth.

A doctor:
http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dsa-dns/sa-ns/ab/sobv-vbos-eng.asp?mAction=View&mBiographyID=690

Not a doctor:
http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dsa-dns/sa-ns/ab/sobv-vbos-eng.asp?mAction=View&mBiographyID=902

 

[Pusser]

I should have been a little more clear.  The use of scarlet and maroon distinction cloth for medical branch officers did continue after 1955 (the only branch that kept it) up until unification in 1968.  I'm not sure if it reappeared immediately when the DEU was introduced (c. 1984), but it did at least follow shortly thereafter.  The RN still uses it in their medical branch.

Distinction cloth for officers with only one stripe (i.e. NCdt, A/SLt and Cmdre) consists of a strip of colour immediately below the stripe.  I don't know why Commodore Jung doesn't appear to have it (could be it just doesn't show up in the photo).  Traditionally, the backing cloth for flag officers' shoulder boards would be in the appropriate colour (i.e. gold shoulder board would be trimmed in scarlet/maroon vice navy blue), but I've never actually seen that done in recent years.  It could be because there are so few medical branch officers at the level that they would have to do it at their own expense and just haven't bothered.

 

[MSEng314]

A slight correction:

Medical officers (i.e. physicians) have scarlet "distinction cloth" while all other officers of the medical branch (i.e. pharmacists, nurses, etc) have maroon.

Until 1955 all RCN officers, with the exception of the Executive Branch (modern day MARS officers) wore distinction cloth (e.g. white for Supply, purple for Engineering, etc.).  The practice was stopped largely due to an increasing number of specialist branches, but no corresponding increase in distinguishable colours of cloth.

Purple for engineering, it all makes sense now. Perhaps that is why some engineering officers on ship insist on signing everything in purple ink. Or it could just be them I suppose...  :

 

[vincent.escanlar]

From my closet, some photos of the executive curl and medical scarlet distinction stripe in action, compared to the previous:

 

[cupper]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what the origin of the executive curl on naval uniforms is?

 

[GAP]

Targets?

 

[mariomike]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what the origin of the executive curl on naval uniforms is?

Topic: Naval Officers Once Again to Wear the Executive Curl 
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/92470.0
( 18 pages )

Topic: Executive Curl Naval Officer Ranks 
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/93963.0

 

[Occam]

A doctor:
http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dsa-dns/sa-ns/ab/sobv-vbos-eng.asp?mAction=View&mBiographyID=690

Is it just me, or is that specialist skill badge (can't tell if it's ship's diver, or diving medical) that is on her left sleeve screaming "I don't belong here!!"?

 

[PuckChaser]

Is that the new Sea Service insignia?

 

[Occam]

Is that the new Sea Service insignia?

Nope, on a Navy uniform it would be above the name tag...on Army/Air Force it would be on the sleeve.

 

[aesop081]

Is that the new Sea Service insignia?

No.

 

[cupper]

It may have something to do with the diving medicine courses which are mentioned in the bio. She also has winged insignia over the medals which may have something to do with the aviation medicine as well.

 

[cupper]

Who'd a thunk that Wikipedia would have the answer to my question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_curl

The origin of the Executive curl, or “Elliot’s Eye,” is somewhat of a mystery. One story is that it is in memory of Captain George Elliot (1813–1901), who when wounded in the arm in the Crimean War used the gold on his sleeve as a sling; this was then alternatively named after him: Elliott’s eye. It is also believed that the Elliott’s eye referred to is the method of making an eye in a hemp cable and said to have been introduced into the Service by the Honourable William Elliot, a member of the Board of Admiralty in 1800 and 1801.

 

[Occam]

It may have something to do with the diving medicine courses which are mentioned in the bio. She also has winged insignia over the medals which may have something to do with the aviation medicine as well.

It's not a question of whether she's entitled to the badge (whatever it is) or not;  it's that I've never seen a specialty skill badge in that location, nor can I find anything in the dress regs that allows for it to be there.  Didn't mean to derail the thread...it just leaped out at me when I saw the picture.

 

[Monsoon]

It's not a question of whether she's entitled to the badge (whatever it is) or not;  it's that I've never seen a specialty skill badge in that location, nor can I find anything in the dress regs that allows for it to be there.  Didn't mean to derail the thread...it just leaped out at me when I saw the picture.

I believe it indicates that she's a "Flight Surgeon", which is a primarily Air Force medical specialty that is also responsible for overseeing diving medical issues in the Navy.

 

[Occam]

I believe it indicates that she's a "Flight Surgeon", which is a primarily Air Force medical specialty that is also responsible for overseeing diving medical issues in the Navy.

<sigh>

The Flight Surgeon badge is the one above her undress ribbons.  I can't tell which badge the one on the sleeve is; it's irrelevant.  My point is that I've never seen any specialty skill badge in that location on the sleeve, nor can I find anything in the dress regs which allows you to wear a second specialty skill badge on the sleeve.