Notes of the Uniforms Naval of Naval Officers

8/11/2019 Notes of the Uniforms Naval of Naval Officers

1/12


2/12

f

l.

']i.;_ri:'ls

NOTES

.

ON

THE

UNIFORM

OF

NAVAL

OFFICERS

.,

,

ComrraaxoBn

W- E.

Mav,

n,N,

.

;

Illustrated

from

Sketches by

i ,,

JonNMuNDAy

.a

'

''-

:.

'I

:.:.

:

NATIONAL

MARITIME

MUSEUM

i'

'

,

GREENI7ICH

.,''.

PRINTED

FOR

TI{E

TRUSTEES

.

'1

-,

:

'

r'

l"

.,:.'l

I


3/12

FOREWORD

These notes

haae been

prepared

by the

Deputy

Director,

Commander

W.

E,

May,

R,N.,

as

a

bief

introductory

suraey

of

tlte more important changes

which

haoe

taken

place

in tlrc uniform worn

by

naztal

fficers

since

it was

first

introduced

in 1748

;

a subject on which

acqtrate

information has not

hitherto

been readily accessible

in concise

form.

Tkey are

designed

to

aid

visitors

to the

Musewn

to

an understanding and

appreciation

of those

changes,

as exernplified

not

only

by

the actual

uniforms

and swords

which are

displayed, but also

by numerous

pictures exhibited

in

the

galleries.

The

sketches

haoe

been

specially

drau:n

by the Librarian, Mr.

John

Murcday, to

illustrate

a

selection af

the uniforms;

FnRNr

G.

G.

Cnnn,

Director.

NOTES

ON TFIE

UNIFORM

OF

NAVAL OFFICERS

HE

history

of

the

uniform

of

naval officers

is far

from

complete, for

changes

are

known to

have

occurred

for

which

no

instructions have

yet

been found.

A

very

interesting

point

is that

innovations have frequently

been

introduced unofficially

at

first

and

have

afterwards

been

regularised.

Thus

the

original

uniform of 1748, growing

from the

distinctive dress adopted

by

officers

of

individual

ships, followed

the

resolutions

of a

meeting

held

in

174516.

The

introduction

of

epaulettes

in 1795

was

preceded

by

their adoption

by a

number

of

officers,

for Nelson

wrote

in

L783: "

Two noble

captains

are

here, Ball and

Shepard,

you

do not

know, I believe,

either

of

them; they

wear fine

epaulettes, for

which I think them

great

coxcombs

: they

have

not

visited me, and

I

shall

not, be

assured,

court their

acquaintance

"

and "

You

may suppose

I

hold

them a little

cheap for

putting

on

part

of

any

Frenchman's uniform."

Again in

1891 the various

forms of evening dress

were

authorised after

they

had

been

worn unofficially

for some

time. In

the First World War

some officers started

wearing

their

white

tunics

with the

collars

turned

down to show

a

shirt

collar

and tie

and

in the Second, officers

when

at

sea

wore army

battle

dress

dyed blue and fitted with

shoulder

straps.

These

innovations were also

recognised

after

a

time.

The

earlier regulations

were often

far from

explicit.

They

were

not

illustrated

but

patterns

were

deposited

at

the

Admiralty

and

in

dockyards and

were intended

to

be

copied. This

lack ofconveniently

available

patterns

probably


4/12

Frac

Oprrcrn

Fur,r- DnEss Coar

1748

Frac

Onnrcsn

Furr Druss

CoAr 1767


5/12

4

l9-d

to a,good

deal of latitude,

but

by the

lgth

century

illustrated instructions

were issued

and

with uniform-makinl

in

the

hands

of

a

few

specialised

tailors

there

was less

chancE

of eccentricity. Under

these

circumstances

it

may

seern

strange that the

new rigs

should

ever

have been

allowed

to

reach

the

stage of

general

use

at

which the

Admiralty

found

it more convenient

to regularise

than to

ban them.

Before

1748

naval

officers

seem

to have

liked

to dress

themselves in red,

but,

when

a uniform

was

eventually

designed,

blue

and white

were

the colours

chosen.

Ther

is

a

story

that

these

colours

were

chosen

by

the

King

after

he

had

adrnired

the Duchess

of Bedford

whom

he had

seen

looking

very attractive in

a

riding

habit

of

blue

and

white.

Blue

and

white have remained

the

colours for

naval

uniform

ever since, except

for

a

period

from

1830

to

1843

when

facings

were

of scarlet"

Each

change

of

uniform

has

been

in

the

direction

of

simplification,

in sorne

cases

the undress

uniform

of

one

period

becoming

the

full

dress

of

rhe

next.

There

has

also

been

a tendency

to_approach

the

civilian

dress

of

the

age

in

form

and

cut. Thus

the

full-skirted

coars

and

"long

enrbroidered

waistcc,ats

of 1748

became gradually

morE

tightfitting

and

grew

into

a tail

coar and

a

plain

wiistcoat.

Next

arrived

the frock-coar,

dear

to

Victorian

respectability,

and

this

was

followed

by

the

modern

jacket,

worn

originaliy

rather

loose

and

to our

eyes ill-fitting.

COATS

The

original,full

dress

uniforrn

of

l74B

had

deep

cuffs

and

was smothered

in

gold

lace.

The

undress

coat

was little less

elaborate

and

had lapels

which

were

normally

buttoned

back

on

their

own sides

but

ar

a

larer

date

could

bL

crossed

over to make

a

double-breasted

coat.

The

method

of wearing

was

apparently

very much

at the

wearer's pleasure,

so_me

offcers

always

favouring

the

lapels

buttoned

back

while

others

preferred

to

fold

them

over

and fasten

one

or

two

buttons

across.

Pictures

are even

seen

in

which

the

officer

has

evidently kept both

lapels bumoned back

but

has

achieved

tidiness

by

hooking

the

edges

of

the

two

folds

together.

Others

again

had

the

edges

of

the

coat

so

cut

on

5

rhe

round that they

would

only

meet at one

point.

In

1828

orders were at

last

given

for buttoning

up

the full

dress coat.

ln

1767 the

large cuffs disappeared

and a simplification had

bcgun,

which

has continued

ever

since except

for

a brief

pcriod

from

1783 to 1787 when

admirals appeared

in

cxceptionally

gorgeous

attire.

The undress

coat of 1787 was distinguished

by

having

ru

turned

down collar, a feature which

has been

retained for

:rlmost

all

but

full dress coats

ever

since.

In

1.825,

the

first

year

for which illustrated

regulations

rrrc

known, an omcer

had

three

rigs-full

dress,

undress

and

t

hc

round

jacket.

This

round

jacket

was

really the

undress

coat without its tails.

It

was

originally

to be

worn

at

sea

only, but

within ten

years

it was

permitted in

harbour

as

"vcll.

It

survived

until

1891

when

it

finally

disappeared,

though at the same

time

another

form

of round

jacket

was

introduced as a full

dress

for midshipmen

under 18.

Greatcoats

are

rnentioned in

1825 and

two

years later

ru short

single-breasted

one

with

a

stand-up

collar was

author-

isccl

to be

worn

by

officers

on

leave

in the vicinity

of

their

ships

as

an

alternative to

the undress

coat which

now

tlisappeared

for seven

years.

On this short

greatcoat IIag

olliccrs wore epaulettes

and other

officers

wore

'|-inch

stripes'

'l'hc

garment

iesembled

a rather

full-skirted

frock

coat

and

bccarne

known

as the

blue

undress

frock.

It disappcarccl

in 1834.

In

this same

year

the

greatcoat

became

a

double-

brcasted

one

with

a

turn

down collar

and

badges

of

rank,

lilst

carried

on epaulettes)

then on

the

scales

of epaulettes

rvitlrout

their bullions)

then

by

stripes on

the

sleeves

and

linally

in

1891

by

shoulder

straps as

at present.

The

frock

|oat

proper was introduced

in 1847.

In

1880 appeared

the

ship

jacket,

very

similar

to

the

ruodcrn

monkey

jacket

being

double-breasted

with

four

buttons. At first it

was only to be

worn at

night

and

in

bad

\4/cather

at

sea

or

in boats,

but

this order

was

greatly

relaxed

in 1885. At

this

date it

was

replaced

for

a

time by

a

blue

tunic,

single-breasted

with

five buttons

and

a

stand-up

collar

to hook.

A similar white tunic

was

introduced,

this

being

thc

first

white uniform worn

by

naval officers

though white

I rousers had been worn in the

tropics

and

in

the

summer

at


6/12

CarrarN (over

three

years)

f]Nonnss

CIAT

l7Z4

CoMMANDER

Furr Dnnss CoAr

1795


7/12

LrrurnruaNt

Furr

Dnnss

COAT

1825

Frac

OrFrcsn

Snonr

Gnparcoar

(worn

as "

blue morning coat ")

1827


8/12

l0

home

for a

long time.

The blue tunic

only lasted four

years

when the

double-breasted

jacket

returned,

to be

referred

to

at first

as

a

monkey

jacket

and

later

as the undress coat.

It

started

with

five

buttons

of

which

four

were intended

to

fasten.

The

last

large

change

was

in 1891

when

the

undress

tail coat

beca.me ball dress and

blue and

white mess

jackets

were introduced.

The

First World

Iffar

saw the introduction

of

the watch coat in

1916

(in

imitation

of

the military

"

British $(/arm

"),

and of the white

jacket

with

trrrned-down

collar

in

1919 as

an

alternative

to

the

white tunic. The white

jacket

was

abolished

again in

1934.

The Second

World War

was responsible for working dress

on

the lines

of

army battle

dress

and for a

considerable

increase

in the

use of

tropical

dress,

i.e. white

shorts

and shirt with shoulder

straps.

BADGES

OF'

R.ANK

In

the

first uniforms

each

rank had its own distinctivc

dress, except

that commanders*

and the two

grades

of captains

were

distinguished from each

other by the lacing

on their

waistcoats.

Frcm

1774

the

uniforms

of

commanders

and

the

captains

were

differentiated by the

grouping

of the buttons

and in

1783

a

similar

arrangement was introduced

for

flag

oflficers'

undress,

stripes

appearing

for

the

first

time

on

thc

latter's

full

dress. On

the introduction

of

epaulettes in

1795

these

were used

to carry badges

of

rank.

At

first

these badges

were confined

to

flag

officers

I

captains over

three

years

seniority

wearing

plain

epaulettes

and

junior

captains

and commanders

wearing

one

only on the right

and

left

shoulder

respectively. In

L8I2 these officers

acquired

their second epaulette

with appropriate

badges of

rank,

and

the

lieutenant

'shipped'

one until 1846

when hc

was

permitted

to

wear

a second

and

the

mate

received a

single

one. In

1857

the

mate's

epauiette

was replaced

by a

pair

of shoulder straps)

or

scales,

without the

bullions.

In

some

undress

uniforms

the

epaulette

was

the only mark of

rank.

In

1856

stripes

were extended

to

all

commissioned

officers

and

the curl on

the top stripe introduced,

five

years

later

these

being altered

to the

modern

systern. Actually

*Until

1794

the title was Master and

Commander.

11

1856

was not the

first

date

on which

officers

below

flag-rank

had

adopted stripes.

From

1827

to lB34

they wore

them

on

the

short

greatcoat

which they

wore

ashorq

instead

of

theundress

coat.

Midshipmen seem

to

have

worn

their

white

patches

from__very

early

times. In

1787

they

are

dlready

described

as

"

the small

white turn

back

as before.',

BREECHES

AI.{D

TR.O{.-]SERS

Blue

breeches

were

worn

at first. 7n

1774

captains

changed

to white

and

it is

probable

that

admirals

changed at

about

the same

date.

In 1805

officers

took to

wearing

pantaloons

with

boots

and

in

1825

white

breeches

and

eithei

white

or

blue

pantaloons

were

in

existence,

Breeches

were

finally

abolished

in

1830.

Three

years

before

gold-laced

trousers

had

been introduced,

to

disappear for

a

short period

in

1830-1831.

TIATS

AI{D

CAPS

It

is

curious

that headgear

is

not mentioned

in

any

of

the

early

regulations.

Three-cornered

hats were

worn

until,

at

the

end

of the lSth

century,

theiy gave

way

to

cocked hats

worn

athwartships.

Oficers

other

than

those

of

flag-rank

turned

their

cocked

hats

fore and

aft

at about the

beginning

of the

l9th

centr.rry

but

flag

officers

retained

theirs

alhwartl

ships

until

much

later. By

the 1825

regulations

flag

officers

had

two cocked

hats, one for

full

dress

which was

gold-laced

and

the other a

plainer

one

for undress

bound

with

black

silk. In

undress

at sea

officers

might

wear

a

round

black

hat

or a

peaked

cap.

The

round

black hat

with

a

low

crown,

and

a strip of

gold

lace

known

as

a

'lightning conducror,

was

later

used

as a ' foul

weather

hat'

only

and lasted

until

1891

when

it

gave

place

to

a sou'wester.

The

first

peaked

cap

had

a

gold

band,

no

badge,

and

a fairly

full top

which

appears

to

have

decreased

in

size as

the

years

passed.

In

1846

a

gold

crown cap

badge

appeared.

In

1856

the

cap


9/12

Caprarlr

UNonrss

Coar 1879

Mrosulp_uax

Roulo

Jacxnr

(Introduced

1B9l)

(As

worn

1939)


10/12

t4

was entirely

remodelled;

the

full top disappeared

and the

cap becamb quite

tight across

rhe ciown

of the head. The

peat

was

gold-laced

for

commanders

and

above

while

a

cap

badge

consisting of

a laurel-surrounded

crown

and anchor,

very

similar to

that now in

use,

rlr}as

worn on a biack mohair

band by all

officers. Four years

later

the top

of the cap

expanded

to eight inches

and the

gold

lace

on the

peak

was

stated

to

be in

the form

of

the

oak-leaves

which

are used

at

the present

day.

Caps

have

been

seen

of

the

dimensions of

1856

but

with the oak-leaved peak

and it is not

certain

whether

these were

an intermediate pattern

or whether the

lacing

which is not

clearly

described

in 1856 was in fact

always

of the

oak-leaf

type.

During

the early

years

of

the

present

century

the tendency

was for

the tops

and

badges

of

caps

to

become

larger

though

this trend

was

not

officially

recognised

for

some

time.

\7hite

cap covers

for

use

in

hot

climates

were introduced

in

1863.

At

one

period

in

the 19th

Qentury

warrant

officers

wore something

like

a

top hat.

SWORDS

Swords were

first

made uniform in

1805

and ten

years

later

masters wore.

swords with

black

gripes

and

executive

officers

with white.

From

1832 the

black

gripe

was

only

worn

by warrant

officers

and

these also

discarded it

after

the

First

World

War.

In

the early

part

of the

19rh

century

surgeons

and secretaries

wore small

swords

(i.e.

court

swords).

Volunteers

wore

dirks

with

a curved

blade

but

midshipmen

wore swords,

"

of such

length

as may

be convenientr"

until

1856

when they

were

given

dirks.

It

is

curious

to

note

rhar

the

1924 uniform

regulations still

show swords

with

slightly

curved

blades though

most

officers had had

straight

ones

for

many

years.

Probably

the sword-makers found

a

straigl_rt

blade more convenient

to make.

CIVI

BRANCHES

Uniform

for masters

mates

and

warrant

officers

is

given

in

the

1787

regulations

but

that

for masters

and

pursers

does

not

appear

until

1807.

Pictures

indicate

however that

pursers

wore uniform

at

an earlier

date

and

it is

logical

to

t5

assume

that masters

did

so

also. In

1807

the

masters

were

to wear

special

buttons

with the arms of

the Navy Office

(three

anchors)

on them,

while

the

pursers'buttons

carried

the crossed anchors

of

the Victualling Office.

In 1825

the

collars of

full

dress coats were used to show

the branch,

masters having

their three

anchors,

pursers

the

crossed

anchors and

physicians

a snake and

anchor.

In 1832 masters

and officers of the civil

branches

wore

the

same uniforms

as those

of

corresponding

executive ranks.but

their

coats

were single instead

of

double-breasted

and

the

various

branches

were

distinguished from each other by

the

arrange-

ment of the

buttons.

Masters had them arranged

regularly;

secretaries wore

their buttons

in

pairs

and surgeons

and

physicians

in

threes.

When

engineer

officers were

instituted

they wore

their

buttons

in

fours

and

for

a

short

while

wore

double-breasted

coats.

Masters

changed

to

double-breasted

coats

in

1846

but other officers kept theirs

single-breasted

until 1891, in which

year

the distinctive

arrangement of

buttons

was

also

abandoned.

When executive officers below

flag

rank took

to

wearing

stripes

the

civil

branches followed

suit,

but while these

officers adopted the

curl

the

civil branches

kept

a

straight

top

stripe and in 1863 took to wearing

distinctive

colours between

their stripes.

When

in 1850 executive

officers

adopted

oak-leaves on

the

peaks

oftheir

caps the

civil branches

retained

their

plain gold

ornamentation and

it

was

not until l9l5 that

engineer

officers

and

l9l8

that

the

other branches

were

given

both

oak-leaves

and

the

curl.

Another distinction which

the

civil

branches

had from

1855

until 1915 or

1918,

as

the

case

may be,

was

that

of

having

gold

instead of

silver

anchors

in

their cap

badges

and

gold and

silver instead of

silver

devices

on

thefu

epaulettes.


11/12

LTBUTENaNT-CoMMANDER

UNonrss

Coar

(Introduced

1889)

(As

now

worn)

Tnnnn-ComwnED

HAr 1748

CeprarN's

Cocrno

Her

Fr.ac

OrrrcBn,s

Cocxao

about

1780

HAr 1825

Frac

Onrrcnn's

CAp

lB25

Capreru's

Cap

CeprRrN's

Cocxno

Har

1856

7s7s


12/12

ls,

t

:.

I

i,i

i',

i:'

I

I

Dates

of Revision of

Uniform

Regulations

The

dates of

the

principal

changes

in

the'uniform of

naval officers before

l82f werel-

Admirals

l

Captains

and

Commanders,

Lleutenants

Midbhipmen

Masters

Masters Mates

Varrant

Oficers

Pursers,..

t748, 1767, t7g7, t8r2.

1748, L787.

1807.

1787.

1787, 1807.

1807.

1748, 1767, 1783,

1787,

L795, 1812.

I

>

t748,

1767, 1774, 1787, 1795, 1812.

I

After 1825 there

were many

alterations;

the most

important

years

of

change,

being i827,

1832, 1833,

1843,

1846,

1856, 1863,

1879

and

1891. After each

of the

two

world

wars-

the w-earing of certain uniforms-has been

placed

in

abeyance which

has had the

effect of reducing

and

sinaplifying

the naval officer's wardrobe.

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l

.:.r,

.

t.,

|.,.r'::'

i,..'

1

i

.

..;.

..,,

/,1,

YELF,Brc. lrp., newpon*, r.w

Documents

Notes of the Uniforms Naval of Naval Officers