Cap Tallies - A Brief History
by
Danny Siggers
Sailors were wearing
cap ribbons by the 1840s but it was not until 1857, when the first
"Uniform Regulations for Petty Officers, Seaman and Boys" were published,
that "hat ribbons bearing the ship's name" were officially recognised.
Although the regulations did not specify how the ribbons were to be
marked, it was customary for sailors to paint on the names of their ships
in large capitals.
When gilt wire
lettering was officially introduced in February 1858, it had already been
adopted by Commander P.R. Sharpe RN of HMS Waterwitch, who had bought such
ribbons from Thomas Stevens of Coventry and was issuing them to his ship's
company at one shilling each (Public Records Office, Ref ADM.1/6045). In
the same year ribbons with letters woven in silk were submitted for issue.
The Controller of Victualling reported against their issue as an article
of seaman's clothing and gilt woven ribbons were adopted for issue instead.
These were initially only to stationary ships and iron clads, about 1½% of
crew at first to be provided for (Index 18041 Admiralty Correspondence).
At first the
regulations did not state how the ribbons were to be tied although the
illustrations in the 1879 Regulations show the ribbons on hats and caps tied
at the back with long ends hanging down.
Between 1893 and 1911
they were "tied in a bow over the left ear - the ends being three and four
inches long respectively - the shorter end being in front". From 1911 they
were tied with the "ends of the bows of equal lengths not more than two
inches long".
During the two World
Wars various security measures were in force concerning cap ribbons and
the need to keep the whereabouts of HM Ships secret. In December 1914 the
Admiral of Patrols issued an order prohibiting the wearing of cap ribbons
ashore and in June 1915 men proceeding on leave from battleships,
battlecruises, cruisers and light cruisers refitting were ordered to wear
cap ribbons of their depots and not of their ship (Index 24387 and 24403/2
Admiralty Correspondence). During World War II cap ribbons bearing only
the letters "HMS" or HM Destroyers/Submarines" were in use.
HMS RAMILLIES
Pre-WWII, complete with full stop after name. |
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HMS ROEBUCK
Pre-WWII, complete with full stop after the
name |
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HMS ROEBUCK
Post 1980's style |
 |
HMS RAME HEAD
Post WWII style - full stop no longer used |
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HMS ROYAL OAK
1960's reproduction |
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Click Here
to see the back of the tallies
The following books
have some relevant information and illustrious in them:
-
The Dress of the
British Sailor - Admiral Sir Gerald Dickens (HM
Stationery Office 1957)
-
British Naval Dress
- Dudley Jarrett (Dent & Sons Ltd 1960)
-
Navy Lists containing
the Uniform Regulations as well as illustrated editions of the Regulations
for 1879 and 1894.
(If unable to find any of the above
books then copies are held by the National Maritime Museum)
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