Circa 1943-1946. Un-attributed group of decorations including United Merchant Marine Mariner's Medal, Merchant Marine Victory Medal, Merchant Marine Pacific Wat Zone ribbon bar, Gallant Ship citation ribbon.
Ca. 1930s-1940s. With the rename of the New York State Nautical School to the New York Merchant Marine Academy in 1929, all insignia for NYSNS also had their designs changed. On patches, instead of the unwieldy, New York Merchant Marine Academy, the…
Ca. 1956. Medal to James J. Smith (1st Ass't Engineer) of SS American Miller for courage and meritorious service in support of the rescue of SS Sea Mazzella. Also known as USL DSM.Designer unknown; struck by Dieges and Clust (D&C). It is 1/10 10K…
Ca. 1923. Awarded to passengers and crew who participated in deck games - the "games" were humorous tasks allotted to two or more teams and were organized in good fun.Designer unknown; struck by Dieges and Clust .
Ca. 1925. Awarded to passengers and crew who participated in deck games - the "games" were humorous tasks allotted to two or more teams and were organized in good fun.Designer unknown; struck by Dieges and Clust .
Ca. 1925. Awarded to passengers and crew who participated in deck games - the "games" were humorous tasks allotted to two or more teams and were organized in good fun.Designer unknown; struck by Dieges and Clust .
Ca. 1938. Medal to Philip W. Babock (OS) of SS American Farmer for courage and meritorious service in support of the rescue of Fishing Schooner Fieldwood. Also known as USL DSA.Designer unknown; struck by Dieges and Clust (D&C). It is 1/10 10K GF…
Ca. 2008. Also known as "Popeye Pipe." Popeye the Sailorman would often suck spinach through his pipe.Purchased in October 2008 from Noho Convenience Store, 640 Broadway, New York City.
"I'm Popeye the Sailor Man I'm Popeye the Sailor Man I'm strong…
1943 Atlantic War Zone Bar card - James Joseph Smith
1943 Mediterranean Middle East War War Bar card - James Joseph Smith
1943 Pacific War Zone Bar card - James Joseph Smith
Ca. 1955. New York Times newspaper clipping relating the circumstances of the award of the United States Lines Distinguished Service Medal to James J. Smith and his shipmates.
Ca. late 1930s. ex-John S. Smith (?). Custom cap to a ship's master made in Shanghai, China. Cap manufactured by New Bright Cap Company, Shanghai, China. Construction is wicker frame with grey leather sweatband; cap badge is unmarked.(?) Despite cap…
Ca. 1970s-1980s. ex-Captain Charles M. Renick. Cap frame is circa 1970s or 1980s; photographic evidence shows cap worn in 1984. Cap badge is circa 1960s. The business card in the cap is at least from July-August 1989, when Captain Renick assumed the…
ca. 1940s-1970s. ex-Jøte Wiklund of Sigerfjord, Norway . I do not know what 8410 on the reverse of the photograph may indicate; it may be an old post code.
In the summer of 1996 I moved into a mostly-furnished apartment at 95 Governor Street in…
ca. 1930s. If a ship were under contact to carry "mails" for the United States Government, the vessel was required to carry two cadets: one in the Deck Department, and another in the Engineering Department. Due to the connection with mail, the cadets…
Ca. 1930s. Panama Mail Steamship Company was a subsidiary company of Grace Line (W. R. Grace & Co.) and was in operation from 1923 through the 1940s - when its ships were requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration. This cap badge was struck…
ca. 1920s. Prior to the institution of the United States Merchant Marine Cadet Corps in 1938, the Federal government-sponsored cadets to work aboard federally-subsidized vessels. This is a rare photograph of a cadet from this period.There are some…
ca. 1941-1942. The United States Maritime Service (USMS) - to create a distinct corporate identity added patches above enlisted rate patches to denote the wearers as members of USMS and not another service. These patches were abandoned in 1943 with…
Ca. 1941-1945. Cap device worn by offficer and aviation cadets on garrison hat. Device is a miniature of the full-size brest badge worn by qualified naval aviators. Eventually, this device was abandoned post war for the service coat collar insigne…
Ca. 2020. Blazer badge for members of the British Antarctic Survey Club. The central device is that of the British Antarctic Territory; the official description is thus:
On 11 March 1952, the Falkland Island Dependencies (constituted in 1908,…
ca. October 1942. ex-William Ittel. "The Navigation Work Book." Workbooks of this sort were filled out by deck cadets with essential information provided by their instructors; upon graduation, they were often carried by junior officers as…
Ca. 1947. Postwar issue of the Soviet Union Medal "For Valor." Three medals of this sort were awarded to American Merchant seamen during the Second World War for their heroism on the Murmansk Run.
In Russian, the proper name for the medal is "Медаль…
Ca. 1940s. Postwar issue of the Soviet Union Medal "Order of the Red Star." "For Military Merit." Four medals of this sort were awarded to American Merchant seamen during the Second World War for their heroism on the Murmansk Run; each of the…
Ca. 1946-1947.This garrison hat was issued from November 1946 through at most Spring 1974. In Fall 1974, it was replaced with a ballcap. It was worn with dungarees and chambray work-shirts. Photographs show it with both the midshipman anchor and…
Ca. 2005. Alan Beckman interpretation of an unofficial TC-WD cap badge; designation of CPO steward when no badge or “rank” existed in the organization.
Ca. 1945-1949. Manufacturer: N.S. Meyer. This unofficial issue was created by using a USN CPO badge with the USN abbreviation removed and replaced with a TC wheel. The TC-WD did not have ranks, rather seaman license status; attribution of CPO is…
Ca. 1938-1939 (1940-1942?).Manufacturer: N.S. Meyer. Cap badge worn by officer trainees of the U.S. Maritime Service at East coast training stations. Record includes collar dogs of the same.https://ianewatts.org/usms-cap-badges/
Ca. 1942. Manufacturer: Coro. Collar and garrison cap insigne issued to the USMC Cadet Corps through 1944. Device is the shield of the U.S. Maritime Commission - the parent agency of the Cadet Corps.