COMMISSIONED OFFICERS’ UNIFORMS
The commissioned officers of the service are required to have complete outfits of full dress, dress, olive-drab service, white service and evening dress uniforms.
The Full Dress Uniform consists of a double-breasted frock coat of dark blue cloth with two rows of gilt buttons down the front, and a standing collar trimmed with gold lace braid; dark blue cloth trousers with gold stripes down the outer leg seams, one and three-quarter inches wide for Surgeon General, one and one-half inches wide for Assistant Surgeon General and one inch wide for other officers; a blue cloth cap with black patent leather visor; black patent leather shoes, white gloves, and full dress sword belt and sword.
The blue cap has a bell crown, the band being of gold braid one and one-half inches wide with a narrow stripe of maroon silk through the center of it and the chin strap worn across the front just above the visor being of gold braid five-eighths of an inch wide with a narrow stripe of maroon silk through the center. The edge of the visor is decorated with gold embroidery, and on the front and center of the cap the distinctive device of the Public Health Service is embroidered.
The Surgeon General wears gold epaulets on the shoulders of the full dress coat with the service insignia and the insignia of his rank, one silver star, embroidered on the top, and the other commissioned officers have shoulder straps of maroon colored broadcloth on the shoulders, these straps being trimmed around the edges with a stripe of gold braid three-quarters of an inch wide and having on them at the center the insignia of the Public Health Service and between this and the shoulder end the insignia of rank.
On the sleeves of the full dress coat are stripes of gold lace braid to indicate the rank of the wearer as follows:
The Surgeon General.—One band two inches wide, gold-thread lace around each sleeve, two inches from lower edge of cuff, with one band one-half inch gold-thread lace one-fourth inch above; the bands being interspaced with maroon broadcloth.
Assistant Surgeon General.—Four bands of gold-thread lace one-half inch wide; distance between bands one-fourth inch; the bands being interspaced with maroon broadcloth.
Senior Surgeon.—Same as for Assistant Surgeon General, omitting uppermost band.
Surgeon.—Two bands of gold-thread lace one-half inch wide, with one band one-fourth inch wide between; distance between bands one-fourth inch; the bands being interspaced with maroon broadcloth.
Passed Assistant Surgeon.—Same as for surgeon, omitting one-fourth inch band; distance between bands to be one-fourth inch.
Assistant Surgeon.—Same as for passed assistant surgeon, substituting one-fourth-inch band for upper band.
The Dress Uniform consists of the blue cap as prescribed for full dress; dark blue serge trousers with a two-inch welted stripe of the same material down the outer leg seam; black leather shoes; white gloves; and a single-breasted sack coat of dark blue serge buttoned down the front by five gun-metal service buttons, with a standing collar. On each shoulder there is a strap of the same material as the coat extending from the shoulder seam to the collar where it is secured by a small service button and on the center of this strap is worn the insignia of rank. There are four patch pockets on the front of the coat each one having a shield shaped flap secured by a small service button, one pocket being on each breast and one on each side below the waist.
The Service Uniform is of the same design as the dress uniform but it is made of olive-drab serge or khaki-colored cotton drill and tan leather shoes are worn. The cap is of olive-drab serge with a russet leather visor and chin strap, a band of olive-drab mohair braid and the service insignia of gun-metal.
The white Service Uniform is of the same design as the olive-drab service uniform but the material is white linen, and white shoes are worn. The white cap has a black patent leather visor, black mohair band and the same service insignia as worn on the blue cap.
The Blue Evening Dress Uniform is of dark blue cloth, cut after the prevailing style for civilian’s evening dress, but having gilt service buttons on the coat and waistcoat, and the same shoulder straps and rank stripes on the sleeves as prescribed for the full dress coat.
The White Evening Uniform consists of a dinner coat, waistcoat and trousers cut after the prevailing style for civilian’s clothing, but having gilt buttons on the coat and waistcoat and shoulder straps of the same material as the coat.
U. S. Public Health Service
| 1. Letters worn on collar | 2. Public Health Service insignia | |
| Shoulder straps of dress and service coats | ||
| 3. Surgeon General | 4. Assistant Surgeon General | 5. Senior Surgeon and Surgeon |
| 6. Passed Assistant Surgeon | 7. Assistant Surgeon | 8. Professor, Hygienic Laboratory |
| 9. Quarantine Inspector | 10. Chaplain | 11. Interne |
The Overcoat for Officers is a single-breasted ulster of dark blue cloth extending to within twelve inches of the ground, closed down the front by a row of five large flat black buttons, with a standing and falling collar, and having the stripes indicating the rank the same as for the full dress coat except that they shall be of black mohair braid.
Insignia of Service and Rank.—The insignia of the Public Health Service consist of a foul anchor crossed by a caduceus. The distinctive device worn on the blue cap consists of a gold shield seven-eighths of an inch in height, emblazoned palewise with thirteen pieces with a chief strewn with thirteen stars, surmounted by a gold spread eagle five-eighths of an inch in height and one and five-eighths from tip to tip of wings, the whole being placed upon the service insignia in gold, the staff of the caduceus and the anchor each being one and seven-eighths inches long.
The insignia of rank for commissioned officers are as follows:
The Surgeon General.—One silver star of five rays, of such size that the points of the rays will fill a circle one inch in diameter, to be five-eighths of an inch from one point of the star to the next alternate point. One ray of the star to point toward the collar.
Assistant Surgeon General.—A silver spread eagle, 2¼ inches wide between the tips of wings; distance from tips of wings to center of talon on each side, 1¼ inches; from top of head to bottom of design, 1¼ inches. The insignia for the right side has in the right talon an olive branch and in the left a bundle of arrows. The extreme width from tip of arrowhead to olive branch is 1⁹/₁₆ inches. These insignia are made in pairs, rights and lefts, and the eagle faces to the front on each shoulder.
Senior Surgeon.—A seven-pointed silver oak leaf with stem; 1⅛ inches long from the tip of the stem to the tip of the leaf; 1¹/₁₆ inches wide at the widest point. The top of the leaf points toward the collar.
Surgeon.—A gold oak leaf of the same size and design, and worn in the same manner as for senior surgeon.
Passed Assistant Surgeon.—Two gold bars, each bar 1⅛ inches long and three-eighths inch wide; the bars being parallel, and three-eighths of an inch apart. The bars are worn with the long axis in a line from front to rear.
Assistant Surgeon.—One gold bar of the same size and worn in the same manner as for passed assistant surgeon.
Professor, Hygienic Laboratory.—A gold oak leaf superimposed upon a silver flaming torch one and one-half inches long.
Quarantine Inspector.—Two crossed flags embroidered in gold, one and one-half inch staff and flags one inch hoist by five-eighths of an inch fly.
Acting Assistant Surgeon.—The same as for Assistant Surgeon except that the rank insignia is silver instead of gold.
Chaplain.—A silver Latin cross one inch high.
The insignia of rank for Warrant Officers are as follows:
Interne.—A rod of Esculapius with a single serpent entwined about it, in silver.
Pharmacist.—No rank insignia on shoulder straps. On the sleeves of the dress and service coats five inches above the edge there is a “cachet” indicating the rank. This consists of a circular piece of maroon broadcloth one-half inch in diameter surrounded by a circle of gold embroidery one-eighth of an inch wide. For the white service and khaki uniforms the “cachet” is made of enameled metal. Pharmacists of the third class wear one such mark, those of the second class two and those of the first class three.
U. S. Public Health Service
Chevrons worn on the sleeves by petty officers
to indicate rank and duty
| 1. Station Engineer | 2. Marine Engineer |
| 3. Pilot | 4. First Cook |
U. S. Public Health Service
Specialty marks worn on the sleeves by
petty officers and special detail men
to indicate rank or duty
| 1. Worn by Cooks other than first cooks | 2. Carpenter | 3. Coachman |
| 4. Yardman | 5. Messenger | 6. Laundryman |
| 7. Night Watchman | 8. Shipkeeper | 9. Boatswain |
| 10. Surgical Nurse 11. Coxswain | ||
Clerk.—Two crossed pens one and a quarter inches in length, embroidered in maroon silk on the dress and service coats and made of enameled metal for the white and khaki coats.
Collar Ornaments.—The collar ornaments for the dress and service coats are the letters “U. S.” in metal in Gothic design, five-eighths of an inch high, and the service insignia in metal. For the dress and olive-drab and khaki service uniforms these ornaments are of gun-metal and for the white coat they are of gilt metal.
Buttons.—The buttons worn by officers of the Public Health Service are of metal and bear the insignia of the service, a foul anchor crossed by a caduceus, the anchor being horizontal and the staff of the caduceus vertical.
Sword and Belts.—The sword for commissioned officers has a straight blade, of diamond shape, 29 to 32 inches long, Hilt pommel, inverted frustrum of a cone with corps device chased on one side and star on the other. Grip, white sharkskin wrapped with gilt wire. Front guard bears corps device; spring back guard, with trophy device. Black leather scabbard with gilt bands, a five-pointed star on each; upper band to have two rings. Tip to be 5 inches long, with laurel branch engraved on the right side. The belt for full dress is one and three-quarters inches wide, with two sling straps three-fourths of an inch wide, covered with gold lace braid and closed by a gilt buckle clasp consisting of a wreath of laurel leaves surrounding a design similar to the service button.
The service uniform belt is the same as the full dress belt but it is made entirely of black grain leather. The sword knot is a strap of one-half inch gold lace twenty-four inches long.
Leggings.—Leggings for wear with olive-drab and khaki service uniforms are of tan colored pigskin.