U.S. Blue Water Navy Uniforms of WWII:
Quartermaster CPO, Blue Jumper:
We’ll start with America’s position and the declaration of war by the United States in World War II soon after the Japanese Pearl Harbor Attack, and then Germany declaring War on us, the switch was flipped for the United States.
Just for perspective for what WWII involved, in the way op the vast area that was covered by the Navy, The US had tried to stay out of the ongoing European War, and what with Japan gaining ground in South East Asia, we were aware then of the era but not how we could protect it all, the world is a smaller place now due to the amount of air trave-and giant cruise ships, etc. But in the Pacific alone, not counting every landing or every island, there were campaigns in the Aleutians, Bornio, Burma, China, Coral Sea, Eniwetok, Guam, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Kwajalein, Merianaz, Midway, New Britian, New Georgia, New Guinea and Cape Glouchester, Okinowa, Wake Island, That doesn’t even cover them all there, There was the Mederteriainan, and the Operation Husky, Italy, Sicily, cross channel England to France Dieppe, Dunkirk (last two were really English Operations) and the Normandy invasion, it doesn’t end there with Naval Operations, as the Atlantic and Pacific and mass-movement of supply convoys everywhere they went, even the Mermansk Run to the Soviet Union. And the Ships moved back and forth for all these operations.
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Note: this is a super-small, possibly the lad was only 15-16 years old, its the smallest in the collection but I think this one is real..
Gunners Mate, PO-2 Class, 'Gun Turret' Commander, Atlantic, and Pacific Theaters:
USN Bosons Mate, PO-3, Picket Boat, Blue Jumper:
I had never heard of a “Picket Boat” before, then I meet a family friend (to make a story short) I couldn’t believe he had been in WWII, but he had been, and served in the navy, a Chief Petty Officer I think “MAC” was, he told me some stories, then showed me a picture of him, Donald-duck hat and all, and maybe 20 years old, he figured he was expendable, and they had been part of the super-secret element of the Navy at the time, that was, they took all these tiny little cabin-cruisers, gave them some weapons, his boat had two water-cooled Vickers machine guns, (again) futile against air attack, there to make you feel better, and a radio (the key element), some later boats had small radars, and surveillance-equipment, and used for Air/Sea rescue, or went to the Army, etc.
But he operated out of “New Calidonia” and they traveled far ahead of the task forces and fleet movements, looking ahead, they had hourly schedules I think it was, and just called in everything they saw every day as an early warning of enemy air and submarines in the area, but they were an expendable unit, small wooden Criscraft boats and the like, gathered up civilian Vessels if you can imagine being out in the middle of the south pacific for Petes-sake! That out in the middle of nowhere and back then few had life rafts, and undependable life vests to boot! And if you ran out of fuel, you were in a world of hurt!
The uniform of “Jumper” is not his, but a similar, lower rank, different hat, but one I’m using to represent these men at this time, they deserve mention in Naval History, even though they were rarely pictured, or talked about, must have felt like shark bait, shot at by Enemy Vessels, others attacked by Enemy Aircraft and lost to heavy weather, they just could not stand up to heavy seas, likely they patrolled around the ships too when they were in Harbor, and used for moving people about and what-not.
CPO, Radio / Wireless Operations, WWII:
Ship Fitter, marred stripes (Red) Dress Blues, Atlantic:
USN Lieutenant JG. Pacific, Mine Sweeper, Khaki Shirt:
Lieutenant JG, Dress Whites, (Kennedy), Patrol-Torpedo Boat:
Lieutenant, Submarine Chaser, Dress Gray Uniform:
New Lieutenant Commander, Destroyer, Veteran of Pacific Operations:
New Lieutenant Commander #2, Fleet Transport (Cargo) Operations:
The Navy had a Couple of Battleships still:
They were saving what they could albeit it was slow going, but had started full speed on the building of Warships the likes of which the world had never seen before.
The Navy had Destroyers still, and, Destroyer Escorts, Cruisers though and they were sent to sea emediatly:
Other Ships were Mine Sweepers, Mine-Layers, Tenders & Sub Chasers:
