Army and Navy Uniforms and Insignia / How to Know Rank, Corps and Service in the Military and Naval Forces of the United States and Foreign Countries

by Dion Williams

The buttons worn by enlisted men upon the service uniform coat and overcoat are plain and of the same color as the material of the coats.

In some special corps of the French service there are variations from the standard uniform above described, thus the Chasseurs Alpin wear a uniform of dark blue cloth with a dark blue beret, a full-crowned visorless hat something after the style of the tam-o-shanter, and the Algerian troops wear a round turban of khaki-colored cloth with a tassel in the center, after the style of the fez.

Uniforms of the French Navy

The uniforms of the officers and men of the French Navy, while following in general the usual naval style present some variations as to the combination of garments, the decorations, the number and arrangements of the rank stripes on the sleeves and the designs of the insignia of rank and corps.

Commissioned officers are provided with five separate uniforms, full dress, No. 1 dress, No. 2 dress, No. 3 dress blue, and No. 3 dress white.

The full dress corresponds to the United States naval officer’s special full dress uniform, and consists of a cocked hat, a dark blue double breasted cutaway frock coat, gilt epaulets, dark blue cloth trousers decorated with gold lace stripes down the outer seams.

No. 1 dress corresponds to the United States naval officer’s full dress uniform and consists of a cocked hat, blue cap or white cap, a dark blue double-breasted frock coat with epaulets, and plain dark blue or white trousers.

No. 2 dress corresponds to the undress uniform of the United States naval officer and consists of the blue or white cap, the dark blue frock coat or the white tunic and dark blue or white trousers.

No. 3 dress, blue, corresponds to the blue service dress of the United States naval officer and consists of the dark blue cap, dark blue frock coat or dark blue tunic (sack coat) and dark blue or white trousers.

No. 3 dress, white, corresponds to the white service dress of the United States naval officer and consists of the white cap, white tunic and white trousers.