Royal Canadian Navy Regulating Branch
And Naval Police
Ratings Rank Insignia
1950 - 1968
Following the Second World War, the RCN reviewed and simplified the Rating's trades and rank structure. The new rank structure now included two classes of Petty Officers and two classes of Chief Petty Officers. This brought the RCN more in line with the relative ranks in the Army and RCAF.
The rates of Ordinary Seaman and Able Seaman and the rate of Leading Seaman did not change. The new rates of Petty Officer 2nd Class and Petty Officer 1st Class corresponded to the army ranks of Sergeant and Staff Sergeant. Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class was the equivalent of an Army Warrant Officer 2nd Class, while the Chief Petty Officer 1st Class ranked with the Army Warrant Officer 1st Class (WO1).
Miniature metal rank insignia was adopted and worn on the collars of shirts in various orders of working uniforms.
After unification, and the introduction of the CF Green uniform the new Canadian Forces rank insignia was often worn on the pre-unification jackets by Chief Petty Officers until they were forced to wear the new CF pattern uniforms.
Metal Collar Rank Insignia
Petty Officer 2nd Class |
Petty Officer 1st Class Pre 1954 |
Petty Officer 1st Class C1954 - 1968 |
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class |
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Pre 1954 |
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class C1954 -1968 |
Cloth Rank Insignia
Leading Seaman |
Petty Officer 2nd Class |
Petty Officer 1st Class |
Petty Officer 1st Class (Reserve) |
Chief Petty Officers
The three buttons comprising the Chief Petty Officer's insignia are hollow, with a concave back in order to reduce weight. The full colour metal or wire crowns were usually stitched onto a cloth backing and then sewn in place.
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class |
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class |
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