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NOTES
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ON THE
UNIFORM
OF
NAVAL OFFICERS
., ,
ComrraaxoBn W- E. Mav, n,N,
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;
Illustrated
from
Sketches by
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,, JonNMuNDAy
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: NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM
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GREENI7ICH
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PRINTED FOR TI{E TRUSTEES .
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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
Frac Oprrcrn
Fur,r- DnEss Coar 1748
Frac Onnrcsn
Furr Druss CoAr 1767
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
CarrarN (over three years)
f]Nonnss CIAT l7Z4
CoMMANDER
Furr Dnnss CoAr 1795
LrrurnruaNt
Furr Dnnss COAT 1825 Frac OrFrcsn
Snonr Gnparcoar (worn as " blue morning coat ") 1827
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 the
undress 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
Caprarlr
UNonrss Coar 1879
Mrosulp_uax
Roulo
Jacxnr
(Introduced 1B9l)
(As worn 1939)
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.
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
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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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