Tresawne

Some more braids. The lower picture is of a Frock Coat recently for sale on ebay. The description states that this is an early 20th century RNR Frock Coat. The coat has RNR buttons with King's Crown. The braids however, are most certainly not RNR and appear to be the centre two stripes from a Master/Chief Engineer Merchant Navy (or a Second Officer of means!). There is a sword belt with RNR buckle. MN officers of course did not wear swords. I believe there is a story that P &O asked permission of the Admirality for their officers to be allowed to wear swords. The response was that they could if the sword were worn in the middle and was made of wood. This of course may well be apocryphal. There also appeared a mess jacket with similar braid, having an addittional stripe below the two interlinked braids. Here there may be a clue to origin. The mess jacket braid has what appears to be a silver motif of a maple leaf set in the diamond. Canadian link - but no reference!? The upper picture is of an actual RNR Frock Coat circa 1890 ;the buttons were no longer used after 1891.The style of the braids shown on the RNR Frock Coat were used until 1952 when they were replaced with standard RN braid with an R in the loop. Not quite sure what the medal is on the RNR 1890 Frock Coat. A puzzle indeed. Any ideas? Tresawne

A few braids to ponder: LtoR 2nd Eng Offr [bP Tankers],2nd EO [Royal Fleet Auxiliary],2EO Merchant Navy [standard, with designation cloth (MN Purple) under braid], Chief Eng Offr MN [standard, cloth (MN Purple) under braid],Chief Eng Offr MN [with RN Purple between braids]. Tresawne

The braid in question is probably that of Third Engineer Officer BP Tankers [Merchant Navy]. I have sample of Second Engineers Braid. The width of the BP braid was narrow, being 3/8". Regular MN is 7/16"and RN 1/2". Most MN officers prefer the 1/2". I have also seen RN braids of 9/16". The executive loop was used by BP and a few other commercial MN companies. The braid is too narrow for RN and purple designation for engineering branch was discontinued after the war. [as were other colours]. Branch designation colours are still used in the MN. The placing of the coloured cloth is RN style - being between the gold stripe rather than individually placed under each stripe. This is rather neater and more practical as the individual cloth tends [i know this from experience] to fray and become rather untidy. The MN buttons are correct for the uniform. Trust this is useful. Tresawne