The SAAF Forum

Does anyone know something about the evolution of qualification breast badges in the SAN?

If I look at old photo's up to about the mid-80's, neither officers nor ratings wore any breast badges.

Then, if I have it right, a submarine breast badge (the wreath, sub and trident) was introduced for the right breast of officers and ratings, followed by the sea-horse and wreath for independent ships and frigates and the mine and wreath for mcm people. Later, the strike-craft got a little strike-craft, missile and wreath. Ratings would wear these breast badges on the right breast when they had finished their task book on a particular vessel, but officers would only wear them after they had been type endorsed on that vessel - after obtaining their harbour and bridge-watchkeeping certificates and completing a longer qualification process... mostly they could only start wearing them as lieutenants (SAN).

Then, later on (early 90's?) the bridge-watchkeeping bag or "water wings" were introduced for bridge watchkeepers. These were supposed to be analogous to the SAAF wings and were worn by all officers (and a number of CPO's and warrants) qualified to drive ships. They are worn on the left breast above the medals (just like the SAAF wings or parachute wings) and are gold for captains of ships (like my old OPSO on boat 8, now OC of SAS Isandlwana, pictured below) and silver for everyone else.



And in the later 1990's engine room watchkeepers started to wear a half-a-wing (like SAAF navigators) above the medals on the left breast. Or was it a full wing? Anyway, it had a sort of ratchet or something in the middle.

This is where my direct knowledge of this ends, but now I see submariners have ditched the combination of water wings on the left breast AND submarine badge on the right breast in favour of one badge - the dolphins on the left breast, but this is worn by both officers and ratings. I have to say that it looks a lot more elegant to me and is more in keeping with what the Yanks and the RN do.



What's the state of play in the rest of the SAN now? What breast badge is worn by people on the frigates? The old strike craft badge? I wouldn't believe that anyone in the SAN has passed up the chance of making a new breast badge. As I see it, the evolution of our uniform was from plain and elegant (no badges, just medals or ribbons) to ever more gaudy and no bored admiral ever passes up the opportunity of sticking another piece of bling-bling on the uniform. Take for instance this



What are the crossed swords this AB is wearing? In the Army that used to mean PTI. In the SAAF I think it meant gate guard.

Edited to add some pics.

you get the dolphins when you become a full qualified submariner, the para bat looking badge looks like a para bat badge(bad zoom on phone screen) but could be wrong and the Crossed swords on the AB means he is a PTI.

Thanks, Sob. Is there a frigate breast badge? What does it look like?

Used to be that only divers had a badge above the name tag on the right breast. Now, as you say, PTI's also wear a badge there. Anyone else?

The strike craft badge is now there surface warfare badge. That is the one the frigates use.


There is all so a EOD tech Badge a bomb with a lighting bolt through it.

Hi,

A number of badges can be worn top right now, but only two at a time and according to seniority. I can list some:
PTI, EOD, Dog Handler, Res Force, Joint Staff, Diver and Padre/Rabbi. Most are similar to the other arms of the service.
The frigate badges are the old strike craft badges now called "surface warfare".

Neville

Thanks Seadog.

What does someone have to do to earn the surface warfare badge? Be type-endorsed on the Frigates?

What we call the bridge watchkeeping badge is actually the surface warfare badge in the US Navy. In the USN, surface warfare officers wear that badge on the left breast, like we do, but it denotes both being able to stand a watch and being surface warfare qualified. In the SAN, we really have two badges where the USN people would wear only one. That's why I like what the submariners have done, i.e. take away the submarine breast badge on the right breast and make it all into one set of dolphins on the left breast.

Mind you, the Royal Navy don't even have a surface warfare badge, so their surface ship drivers don't tend to wear any badge at all (although there are badges for submariners and pilots).

When you get qualified (there is a test and a walk through) and after some sea time you get your badge.

Are only frigate drivers eligible for the badge? What about people qualified on other ships such as the minehunters?

Strike craft and frigate share a badge

Pro, Drakki and T crafts get the support ship badge (the fish)

MCM get a MCM badge

subs get the 2 dolphins