Executive curl
Encyclopedia
Origins
The origin of the Executive curl, or “Elliot’s Eye,” is somewhat of a mystery. One story is that it is in memory of Captain George Elliot (1813–1901), who when wounded in the arm in the Crimean WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
used the gold on his sleeve as a sling; this was then alternatively named after him: Elliott’s eye. It is also believed that the Elliott’s eye referred to is the method of making an eye in a hemp cable and said to have been introduced into the Service by the Honourable William Elliot, a member of the Board of Admiralty in 1800 and 1801.
Usage history
Lord Anson’s Board of Admiralty issued the first uniform regulations in 1748 in order to set a distinction between naval and other officers, and lay down precise rules of rank and precedence among naval officers. Distinctive lace on the sleeves of flag officers was introduced in 1783 and was extended to other officers in 1856 with the addition of the curl in the uppermost row of lace for officers of the executive branch only. From 1879 to 1891 Royal Navy officers wore three brass buttons between the lace. In January 1915, the use of the curl was extended to engineer officers and to other officers in 1918. The naval pattern lace was different in that it followed a straight line with a round loop while British Army uniforms were decorated on the sleeve with a loop that rose to a peak in the form of a “crow’s foot” or “Austrian knot.”When the Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1859 its officers were differentiated from regular officers with rank braid that was half the width and formed two waved lines, one superimposed upon the other with a six-pointed star in place of the curl.
In 1903 the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was instituted and the officers were distinguished with waved stripes worn parallel to each other, surmounted by a squared waved “curl.”
Officers of the Women’s Royal Naval Service wore sky blue lace with a diamond shaped loop.
Although in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
the curl is now common to all officers, some other navies who copied the custom have restricted its use to their deck officers. While in some navies placed insignia above the braid to indicate specialist branches Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
navies used coloured cloth beneath of the gold lace. Coloured branch distinction, first introduced in 1863, went out of use except for the medical, nursing, medical administration and technical branches, on 31 December 1959.
While 19 of 22 Commonwealth of Nation navies use the executive curl, according to Janes Fighting Ships 54 of the world's navies use the insignia on officer’s uniform:
Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium Brazil Brunei, Canada, Colombia, Congo (DRC), Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Iceland, India, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Slovenia *, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Sweden, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela
Those navies that do not use the curl like the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
substitute a star or other national device above the top row of lace.
Canadian Navy and the executive curl
Prior to 1910, the Royal Navy provided maritime defence of British North America and for the Dominion of Canada from 1867. Early in the 20th century, Great Britain redistributed the British fleet and reduced its stations in Halifax and Esquimalt. As a result, the Government of Canada on May 4, 1910, under the authority of the Naval Services Act, created the Naval Service of Canada. On August 29, 1911 it was designated the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
by King George V until in 1968 when Canada’s Navy became Maritime Command within the Canadian Armed Forces.
When it was created in 1910 it was natural for the emerging Canadian Navy to adopt the same straight rings with the executive curl for the permanent navy and subsequently the “wavy” shaped rings for the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) and the rings of narrow interwoven gold lace for the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve (RCNR). Sea Cadet Corps officers had a small anchor in place of the executive curl.
Following the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
was reorganized with a single reserve component. In 1946 the distinctive wavy gold braid of the reserves gave way to the straight braided executive curl of the regular force until 1968. With the integration of the Canadian Armed Forces, unembellished straight braid became the common rank insignia for all officers of both the Regular and Reserve Forces. The executive curl rank insignia has been in continuous use in the Canadian navy but from 1968 to 2010 it was reserved for navy mess dress only.
On March 5, 2010, the House of Commons unanimously passed a private members bill recommending, "That the government should consider reinstating the navy executive curl on its uniforms." Mr. Guy Lauzon, Member of Parliament for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, explained that the insignia is common to most nations that have a monarch as a head of state. Subsequently, in recognition of the Canadian Naval Centennial, The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, authorized the use of the executive curl for the Canadian navy on Battle of Atlantic Sunday, May 2, 2010. After 42 years absent, the executive curl insignia became effective again for service dress uniforms on June 11, 2010 on the occasion of the Pacific Canadian Naval Centennial International Fleet Review parade of nations in Victoria, B.C. .
External links
- Naval uniforms at readyayeready.com
- Badges and Insignia of World War II, Guido Rosignoli, 1983, Peerage Books