Hi David, I used the US Armed Forces Insignia poster DoD P-2D/DA Poster 360-89/NAVEDTRA 46200A/AFVA 35-2/NAVMC 2508 (published 1975) to confirm the colours of this badge; though, I accept that different colours were used previously. In the book 'American Badges and Insignia' by Evans E Kerrigan (published 1967), it states, for Warrant Officer W-1 "one bar of enamelled colour, separated by a centered cross-wise bar of gold and framed in gold. The colour is blue for the Navy and the Air Force and red for the Army and the Marine Corps". I assume that the colours changed at some point between 1972 and 1975 as the Army colour is depicted as black and the poster seems to show a dull red/brown for the USMC. Attached is a scan of the relevant part of the poster. The dull red/brown colour is certainly different to the background scarlet of the enlisted chevrons. What do you think?
