Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    Recommended Posts

    • 1 year later...

    Hi, A bit late but possibly of interest to you. Socks were, up to the early sixties, a status symbol in the RAF!! All non commissioned ranks of the RAF wore mid grey woolen socks or to give them their correct RAF tile, "stockings". Officer ranks and Warrant Officers wore black socks. It was the same for gloves, officers wore brown, ORs wore blue/grey. The British Army have similar idiosyncrasies with shoes, Officers and WO 1s wear brown and WO2 and below wear black??? 

    Other than status, there is possibly a logic behind these differences but your guess is as good as mine!!

    Cheers Michael

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    It was about status, for sure.  Officers wore different uniforms, with different accessories, for centuries.  Swords and sashes rather than belts and bayonets.  Cocked hats instead of shakos. [Until that made them to easy to snipe.]  Then when uniforms became similar - but not the same! - the older markers became that sacred cow of militaries everywhere, 'a tradition'. And new ones were added - ties for WOs and Officers, but not for ORs. 

    in the Great War, officers were instructed never to be seen carrying parcels, but to have all private purchases from shops delivered.  Working men carried things, gentlemen swung canes. I think one of the greatest changes brought about by WWI was the necessity of commissioning rankers.  'Not our sort', but bloody useful by 1917-18. :)

    That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

    Peter

    Edited by peter monahan
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.