NOTHING (WRONG) UP HIS SLEEVE
In response to J.H. Thompson’s concern about the U.S. Navy’s insignia and names for the positions (“Letters,” April 2006): Some rates have had the rating badges on the right sleeve and some on the left since at least 1841. The reason varied, but in 1913 the “right arm rates” were the seamen rates. This was further refined in 1941 to specify the seaman branch: boatswain’s mate, turret captain, signalman, gunner’s mate, fire controlman, quartermaster, mineman and torpedoman’s mate. All other rates wore the badge on the left arm. This was changed in 1949 to the current policy of all insignias being worn on the left arm. Therefore, pictures of boatswain’s mates, such as BM3 Thomas, taken during WWII show the insignia on the right arm.

With regard to the remainder of Mr. Thompson’s comments about the Navy’s structure, he’s mixing apples and oranges. In the Navy the rate refers to the pay grade, the rating refers to the occupational specialty. In the example of BM3 Thomas, his rate is petty officer 3rd class; his rating is boatswain’s mate. The use of “rank” for Navy enlisted personnel is incorrect.

Lieutenant Michael A. Yates
U.S. Navy (ret.)
Mesa, Ariz.

In regard to J.H. Thompson’s letter regarding rank and rate in the April 2006 issue, John Thomas’ boatswain’s mate 3rd class rating badge is not reversed. At the time, all members of the seaman branch, or deck force, wore their rating badges on the right arm. They were the ratings associated with seamanship, gunnery, navigation and signals, skills paramount in the sailing navy. Boatswain’s mates were senior in precedence, followed by gunner’s mates, quartermasters and signalmen. Turret captain was a senior gunnery rating, usually for chief petty officers. Torpedomen also had right arm ratings. All other rating badges, including those for the engineer, artificer, aviation, etc., were worn on the left arm.

The boatswain’s mate 3rd class designation did not appear until war’s end when all badges were shifted to the left arm. In the old Navy that junior BM rating was called coxswain, another job description from the sailing ship days. It was my own path to advancement when I was promoted from seaman 1st class to coxswain on November 1, 1941. In those days I never heard anyone talk about “grade.” It was always referred to as one’s “rate,” as first, second or third class.

Ed Ries
San Diego, Calif.

CORRECTIONS TO CORRECTIONS
William S. Storey’s letter in the March 2006 issue was incorrect in stating that the 3rd, 4th and 36th Infantry divisions joined the Seventh Army for the invasion of southern France. The units were the 3rd, 36th and 45th divisions. Also, the 442nd Regiment was not part of the 3rd Infantry Division — it was part of the 36th, from October 11 to November 9, 1944. David B. Leber was also in error when he states that the 30th Infantry Regiment was in the 7th Division — it was a part of the 3rd, when that division was part of the Seventh Army.

Patrick D. Heagerty
Manlius, N.Y.

BOVINES IN THE BOCAGE
After reading your excellent overview of that nasty action in Normandy’s hedgerow country in the April 2006 issue, I was reminded of something my tour guide told me of how the Allied forces had an assist in intelligence from an unexpected source. If you ever visit Normandy and stop at one of the hedgerow-enclosed fields, you will discover that the cows are both friendly and inquisitive. According to my source, the troops quickly learned to look at the cows. If they were grazing around the field or came to greet the troops, you could be pretty certain that there weren’t any German emplacements in that particular bocage. But if the cows were clustered at a corner or were dead, that was a tipoff that the enemy was there.

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