Royal Navy officer rank insignia

In 1877 a Lieutenant of 8 years seniority got an additional half-stripe of ³/₁₆-in, increased to ¼in in 1891.

In 1914 the rank of Lieutenant-Commander was created and given the insignia of the 8-year Lieutenant.

In 1919 the admirals' narrow stripe was reduced to ½in, but as King George V had not approved the change, the royal family continued to wear the wider stripe.

In 1931 all the ½in stripes were all increased to ⁹/₁₆in.

The curl was introduced in 1856, but initially only the military (or executive) and navigating (masters) branches wore it.

Other branches had plain stripes, from 1863 with coloured cloth between or below them. Until 1891 officers of the 'civil' branches had single breasted coats with different arrangements of buttons.

Warrant Officers

Warrant Officers first received their uniforms in 1787. Thenavigators, surgeons and pursers were commissioned in 1843 and theirinsignia are described above.

In 1865 Chief (or Commissioned) Warrant Officers were given a single½in stripe, with the curl for gunners and boatswains, without forcarpenters.

In 1891 ordinary Warrant Officers of 10 years standing were givena half-stripe of ¼in, with or without curl as above.

In 1918 this stripe, with the curl, was extended to all non-commissioned Warrant Officers.

In 1949 WOs and CWOs became "Commissioned Branch Officers" and "SeniorCommissioned Branch Officers" and were admitted to the wardroom, buttheir insignia remained the same.

In 1956 they were integrated into the line officers as Sub-Lieutenantsand Lieutenants, and class distinctions finally disappeared from the uniform.

Reserves

From 1863 officers were commissioned in the Royal Naval Reserve. They had stripes each formed from two ¼-inch wavy lines intersecting each other. The curl was formed into a 6-pointed star. The Lt Cdr's half-stripe was straight, but only ⅛ inch wide. The commodore had a broad straight stripe, but the same star for a curl. Midshipmen had a blue collar patch.

Officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (formed 1903) had single wavy stripes ¼ inch wide, with the curl a squarish shape. The Lt Cdr's narrow stripe was originally straight, but after 1942 was waved also. Midshipmen had a maroon collar patch.

In 1951 both reserves lost their distinctive insignia and got normal straight stripes like the regulars, but with a letter 'R' inside the curl. The 2 organisations were merged in 1958.

In 2007 Officers of the RNR removed the 'R' distinction from badges of rank.

Wrens

Officers in the Women's Royal Naval Service had straight stripes inlight blue, with a diamond shape instead of the curl. The WRNS was abolishedin 1994 and female officers now have the same uniform as the men.

External links

* [http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.3761 Royal Navy official webpage on Uniforms and Badges of Rank]
* [http://www.geocities.com/commentariat/emperor.htm Mistakes in the Application of British-style Armed Forces Rank Insignia]
* [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~pbtyc/Naval.html Late 18th, 19th and early 20th Century Naval and Naval Social History index, including uniform regulations]
* [http://www.naval-history.net/WW2aaRN-PayTables00Ranks-Badges.htm Royal Navy ranks, professions, trades and badges of rank in World War II]