wearing of collar devise and rank 1898-1915 uniform

[Grigori_Storri]

I have found reference of officer and enlisted uniform for the great war but nothing from an earlier date. Does anyone know of any references online or other?

[Drydock]

The wearing of collar rank came about during the SAW/PI campaigns.  The M1898/1899 uniforms used "False Embroidered" ie pin on metal rank devices attached to shoulder tabs on the tunic.  In the tropics, the tunics were quickly set aside, but officers still wishing to wear rank began pinning these devices to their shirt collars.  Pictures from this era clearly show this, there's some in our GAF weapons historical photo's thread.  I'm not sure when this became formalized, but by the time of the 1904 regulations it was a common, accepted practice.  There is precedence for this in the M1895 undress tunic, which utilized US, Seal, and branch devices pinned to its stand up collar.  So the use of a collar as a display area would not be a new idea to these officers.  Naval Officers and Midshipmen had been using collar devices well back into the 1880s.

[Pony Racer]

Interestingly enough for Naval officers including the US Revenue Cutter - the officers wore their rank and what looks exactly like modern Chief Petty Officer (CPO) rank (E-7) but turned sideways.

It seems to be that around the same time (SAW/eary 1900's) that the modern CPO rank was officially born and that the additional piece left the officer's uniform and became the official CPO rank.

I had the opportunity to look at turn of the century USRCS rank device up close a few years back and the only differences appear to be line in the anchor vice the current rank device which has chain in the anchor and the shield on the current rank device is silver tone.

PR

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[Drydock]

If  you go here:  http://www.morolandhistory.com/    check out  the  pages on the Battle of Bayan.  there is at least one picture showing several officers wearing rank on collar in 1902.

[Grapeshot]

If  you go here:  http://www.morolandhistory.com/    check out  the  pages on the Battle of Bayan.  there is at least one picture showing several officers wearing rank on collar in 1902.

Wearing of the rank on the collar of the blue overshirt, later to the Kahki and OD shirts originated in the tropical climates when the troops discarded the blouses and performed their duties in the overshirt.  The early 1900's saw a lot of improvising that became regulation, including the wearing of stripes on the shirts.  The chevrons soon were reduced in size and inverted as we see them today during the early part of the twentieth century.