As the topics roll along, would it be worth the time or interest to try and start a trivia/timeline on the different specialties, insignia and the like ???

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Masters Mate: I would like to see more info along the lines you mentioned. As a side note, I wear a W-1 device along with my CAR on a ball cap that was seriously in need of a bath. So I took the ribbon and device off so the cap could get washed. I cleaned the device (with my toothbrush and Crest - does a great job) and sat there looking at it reliving old memories. I had received the hat device from an OLD W4 when I made W-1 in 64. Studied it for awhile and tried to figure out why it looked different. So I compared it to my shadow box that had my combo cap device in it. The old device was slightly smaller (larger than the garrison cap device), the shield a little narrower, and the 2 rows of stars were not parallel in horizontal rows. The lower star row was straight and horizontal. The upper star row followed the curvature of the top of the shield. My thought is that it probably was manufactured in an era when there were no set specs to go by, or else the design was purposely changed sometime before 1964. By the way, I served my 3 years as W-1 before it was permanent. Maybe you can shed a little light on the W-1 devices. Now its time to get ready for my trek to Fantasy Fest in Key West and get my bachanalian fix. Ray sends........

Helluva place to start. Seeing as the W-1 for the CG is a long gone dinosaur. Good eye on noticing the difference in the shield. Finding anything definite on when changes occured is not very easy and a lot of this is from observation of different insignia.

As far as the arrangement of the stars on the chief of the shield.

From insignia I've been able to collect, the pattern of the stars up until 1948+/- , was as you describe. In 1947, the USN uniform regs prescribed a backing be attached to the band for the CPO cap to attach the anchor. At that time the design of the anchor was changed to include a screw backing to attach it to the band. As CG uniform regs from 1940+/- to the adoption of the "Bender Blues" were just an addendum to USN uniform regs, it would follow that the CG anchor design was changed also.

The W-1 cap device is a Revenue Cutter Service variation of the USN Warrant Officer crossed foul anchors. It is mentioned in the 1908 R.C.S. uniform regs as being embroidered for the cap device, and embroidered for the collar devices of the warrant specialty Masters Mate.

1916 U.S.C.G. uniform regs describe the insignia as made out of gilders metal for both the cap and collar. In the 1920 reshuffle to Navy grades, the Masters Mate was disestablished, and the additional grade of Chief Warrant Officer established.

Just last month I missed a 1916 or so Cap Device on eBay. I've got a mid/late 1950s or early 60s W-1 cap device and the stars on the chief of the shield are in two parallel rows

W-1 device photo from Dick Levesque. Check with Dick, thru his site, he can get you in touch with an outstanding coffee mug with the W-1 insignia. Got one already.
http://www.coastguardpics.com/index.html
A start.

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Great stuff--thank you for the thread!

An old Warrant specialty

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US ARMY:
Finance Corps Officer -
In 1896, the diamond design (embroidered in silver or made of silver metal) was approved at the insignia of the Pay Department. In 1912, when the offices of The Quartermaster General, The Commissary General, and The Paymaster General of the Army were consolidated into the Quartermaster Corps, the use of this design was discontinued. The design came into use again when the Finance Department was established in 1920. The design was retained when the Finance Department became the Finance Corps in 1950.

Army Finance Corps, pick up something new everyday. Now I'll know where to pick one up for the display board.

In the Navy up until the 1920s, and the Coast Guard in the 1920s and early ?? 1930s it was also the specialty mark for the Warrant Sailmaker.

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Collar devices, Who was what, as far as grade ????


The metal collar devices showed up just before the start of WW II, for wear on the new khaki uniform.

It appears that, as far as the Coast Guard goes, the Warrant/s in the aviation department wore them with the aviation khakis a lot earlier, in the 1930s.

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The gold collar insignia would have been for the Warrant Officer, and worn on both collars.

The silver collar insignia would have been for the Chief Warrant Officer, worn the same as the Warrant Officer.

About 1950 the use of gold specialty insignia came into effect and a gold bar with a small blue break was used for the Warrant, and a larger blue break for the Chief Warrant.

From 1948 ?? the W1 thru W4 were strictly pay grade designations and didn't become ranks until the Warrant Officer Act of 1954. Thats when the present collar rank insignia came into being.

For what it's worth, semi useless information

May 1968

Boatswain remained Boatswain (BOSN)
Gunner became Weapons (WEPS)
Machinist became Naval Engineer (ENG)
Machinist(Aviation) became Aviation Engineering (AVI)
Carpenter became Material Maint. (MAT)
Radio Electrician Operations became Communications (COMM)
Radio Electrician Engineering became Electronics (ELC)
Electrician became Electrician (TEL)
Ships Clerk became Personnel (PERS)
Supply Clerk became Finance & Supply (F&S)
Pharmacist became Medical (MED)
Photographer became Public Information (INF)

W1 will be addressed as Warrant Officer
W2, W3, W4 will be addressed as Chief Warrant Officer.

"The Reservist Magazine "

I’ll add some more trivia. If you notice all specialities had a name change except BOSN. BOSN was slated to become Surface Operations. I believe if it were not for the expressions of outrage and dissatisfaction from those wearing the crossed and fouled anchors at the time, that name change would have taken place also.

Dan,
I believe that in the mid 1970s ?? there was a re-incarnation with the thought of using the Navy OPS TECH specialty. Supposed to give an alternative Warrant specialty to QMCs, RDCs, STCs, and MSTCs that did not to go the Boatswain route. That idea just kind of died on the vine.

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The first Warrant Officer specialties in the new 1915 Coast Guard

The first collar grade (WO or CWO) insignia, after the paygrades w-1 to w-4 were created

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Guess I'm too lazy to look it up but what rate/rates did Masters Mate come from? The others make sense but was the Masters some type of advanced deck rating? My dad was in the CG late 60s/early 70s and he often tries to remember all the Warrant specialties so this is great info.
Erik

Masters Mate was one of the very early ships officer and warrant officer designations.

As far as the U.S. Navy is concerned,In the early 1800s the title was Master or Sailing Master and he would be assisted by Mates or Masters Mates. Their duties involved sailing the ship, while the captain was the military commander.

Eventually the rank was shortened to Mate and they all but disappeared by the early 1900s.

In the Revenue Cutter Service uniform regs of 1908 the specialty is mentioned as one of the warrant officer designations. The USCG in 1916 also identifies the Masters Mate specialty. It disappeared by 1920 or so.

Just my guess as to the duties, but I'm going with what one would expect a Warrant Quartermaster. They would be more expertise in the pilothouse duties, and the Boatswain more in line with the deck duties.

Eventually, the Boatswain became the catch all title for the duties held by the seagoing Masters Mate & Boatswain, and the shoreside station Keeper. All got one generic title. Much the same as the boatswains mate becames a conglomeration of seagoing and shoreside duties.