RN medical service badge 1917?

[Jennyford]

Posting for the first time on this forum: I'm trying to find an image of the badge used by officers in the naval medical service after the 1917 reorganisation and don't know enough to select the correct one from Google images, so would be really grateful for some help, please.

Jennian

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Jennian

See here: https://uniform-reference.net/insignia/rn/rn_ww1_ranks_officer_2.html

Dave

 

 

[FROGSMILE]

I don't think there was a special badge for the Naval Surgeons (as they were called) Jennian.  During WW1 they wore the same headdress badges as their military branch colleagues, but as with all the non-military branches the policy at that time was to wear cuff rings without 'executive curls' (loops), but (in the case of the surgeons) with a band of scarlet between the rings themselves.  Those below officer (sick berth attendants) wore a similar special arm badge to the Army medical orderlies, the red cross badge of the Geneva organisation on a circular patch.

Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service who staffed shore based hospitals and hospital ships had their own insignia based on a combination of the crown, the cypher of Queen Alexandra and the same red cross as used by the sick berth attendants.

See:  https://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritish-Ranks.htm

NB.  The image of a jacket below shows the change after 1918 mentioned by RNCVR below, whereby the executive curl was at last added to the cuff rings.

Edited 30 July , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[RNCVR]

In 1918 the Medical branch, along with other Civil branches of the RN, was granted the Executive curl. Surgeons continued to wear scarlet lace between the gold lace stripes.

The Engineering branch had been granted the Executive curl in 1915.

Edited 30 July , 2021 by RNCVR

[Jennyford]

Thanks to all three. It seems that the RN medics didn't have a metal lapel/cap badge? 

These are the corresponding badges for the RAMC and the RAF Medical Service

 

 

[Jennyford]

have now come across a badge for the RNMS, devised in 1913, but as you all say, not worn on the uniform. Many thanks

 

[KizmeRD]

No, that is the old badge of the Commissioners for taking Care of Sick and Wounded Seamen and for the Care and Treatment of Prisoners of War, otherwise called ‘the sick and hurt board’, which was the forerunner of the Royal Naval Medical Service. This emblem was not in use during WW1 or WW2 and only got officially recognised when re-adopted by the RNMS in 2013.

Uniform regs remain unchanged following the re-adoption of this ‘new’ medical branch emblem.

MB

Edited 30 July , 2021 by KizmeRD

[seaJane]

Just confirming what everyone else has said. For what it's worth, the Admiralty order regulating the medical service from a civil to a military branch was dated November 18, 1918.

@Jennyford, your e-mail to me at work was forwarded on by a colleague, but given the information you have had here I shan't follow up, unless you particularly want me to? As you will see, I (not having spotted your query) put up one of my own, on which @horatio2 reminds me that RN Medical Officers sometimes wore the Red Cross brassard on the upper arm when in the khaki of the Royal Naval Division.

By all means send me a direct message here so that we can enter into correspondence, if you wish.

seaJane

[Jennyford]

2 hours ago, KizmeRD said:

No, that is the old badge of the Commissioners for taking Care of Sick and Wounded Seamen and for the Care and Treatment of Prisoners of War, otherwise called ‘the sick and hurt board’, which was the forerunner of the Royal Naval Medical Service. This emblem was not in use during WW1 or WW2 and only got officially recognised when re-adopted by the RNMS in 2013.

Uniform regs remain unchanged following the re-adoption of this ‘new’ medical branch emblem.

MB

whoops - thanks!

10 minutes ago, seaJane said:

Just confirming what everyone else has said. For what it's worth, the Admiralty order regulating the medical service from a civil to a military branch was dated November 18, 1918.

@Jennyford, your e-mail to me at work was forwarded on by a colleague, but given the information you have had here I shan't follow up, unless you particularly want me to? As you will see, I (not having spotted your query) put up one of my own, on which @horatio2 reminds me that RN Medical Officers sometimes wore the Red Cross brassard on the upper arm when in the khaki of the Royal Naval Division.

By all means send me a direct message here so that we can enter into correspondence, if you wish.

seaJane

apologies for the confusion - will DM you