Navy Nurse Corps
(NNC)
. .....III. Uniforms
-. Insignia
-. Medals and Ribbons
-. Service and Dress Uniform
-. Work Attire
-. Flight Nurse's Apparel
-. Miscellaneous
-. Dress Regulations
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Miscellaneous

Headgear

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Outdoor Cap

The NNC cap, introduced in 1942, was similar to the male Navy officer’s cap, but without the visor. 

The NNC device (1 1/8 inch in height)  was placed on the crown of the cap above the chin strap. 


.The service cap with navy blue cover .

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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
.The service cap with white cover was worn with the
white service uniform or with the blue service uniform
during the spring/summer period.
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Service Cap
(Revised 1944 Model)

In the spring of 1944, after the NNC had received full commissions, wearing the Navy officer's cap insignia became authorized. The gold lace chinstrap was removed from the cap. Instead, a black mohair band with a black backing for the new device was added. The cap could be worn with a white cover, a navy blue cover or a slate gray cover to go with the slate gray dress (working uniform).
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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.Left Side: Interior view of the NNC service cap with white cover 
Right Side: Navy blue cover of  the Navy Nurse service cap 
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Raincover for the NNC service cap
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Garrison Caps
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In 1944, garrison caps for Navy Nurses were introduced. They were provided in white, navy blue and slate gray and were worn with the matching uniform. A miniature Navy officer's insignia was pinned on the left side of the cap while a miniature pin-on Navy rank was worn on the right side. Unlike the banana shaped female garrison caps of other servicewomen's organizations, the Navy Nurse's garrison cap had a straight cut like the garrison caps for men, but with the back crown of the cap higher than the front. ..
Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Ward Cap
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Navy Nurses wore a white cap with a black velvet band across the front. Stripes of gold braid on the black band indicated the rank held by the wearer. 

(A chart explaining the different rank stripes on the hospital cap can be found here: NNC insignia )

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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY

.Ensign Navy Nurse Hospital Cap

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Shirts
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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.. This white shirt made of sanforized cotton belonged to Navy Nurse Ilene M. Johnson. The shirt has a breast patch pocket on the left side and long sleeves with folded double cuffs. Note: the shirt is cut like a men's shirt (button closure on the left side).
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Handbags

Navy Nurses received an envelope style black cordé handbag.
It was 12 inch wide and 8 inch high. 


Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
Navy Nurse's Black Cordé Handbag - Front View
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
Navy Nurse's Black Cordé Handbag - Back View
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
Navy Nurse's Black Cordé Handbag - Inside View
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
Nurse's Black Cordé Handbag 
 
Purse variation with different cordé pattern

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Footwear
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
.v Black oxford shoes were worn with the blue outdoor uniform.

Left: Example of 1940s black oxford shoes as they were used by female Navy personnel.

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Later in the war, plain black leather pumps could be used as well. Heel height of the pumps should not exceed two inches. 

Right: Example of plain 1940s black pumps 

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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
Example of 1940s White Oxford Shoes with rubber heels
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The same kind of shoes where worn with the white outdoor uniform, but white in color.

White oxford shoes with rubber heels were worn with the indoor uniform. 

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Although the heel height of the pumps could not officially exceed two inches and needed to be plain, wartime photographs are evidence that many women actually wore shoes having higher heels and decorative styles.

Because leather was rationed and shoes became scarce during wartime, the regulations governing footwear were not enforced strictly - especially regarding the dress pumps. 

For example, the shoes shown in the picture on the right belonged to a Navy Nurse who served during WWII. They have perforations and higher heels than authorized. 

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Shoes of a Navy Nurse displayed at the National Pacific War Museum in Fredericksburg , Texas
( Photo Courtesy of  Roger Dean)
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Identification Tags (Dog Tags)
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The oval shaped Navy identification tags were 1.25 by 1.5 inches in size and were perforated at each end. The early tags had a right index fingerprint etched on the reverse of the tag. Only one tag was worn suspended from the neck by a monel wire encased in a cotton sleeve. (Monel metal was a corrosion-resistant alloy of nickel and copper, with small amounts of iron and manganese).
In 1943 the fingerprint was omitted. Additionally, a second tag  was introduced. A new suspended cable wire provided attachment for two tags. In case of death, one tag was removed for official processing purposes and one was left on the body for positive identication.

The identification tags had the following information on it:
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-. Individual's Name
-. Nurse (printed on early versions before Navy Nurses received relative rank in July 1942)
or Officer Rank + NC (for Nurse Corps) (printed on the tags between July 1942 and May 1943)
or Officer File Number  (since May 1943)
-. Tetanus Vaccination indicated by letter "T" with date in numerals (e.g. T-2-42 or T 11/43)
-. Religion (printed since May 1943, P for Protestant, C for Catholic, H for Hebrew) - optional information
-. Service
USN for members of the Regular Corps
USNR for members of the Reserve Corps
-. Blood Type (O, A, B, AB)
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
.... Early WWII Dog Tag
(pre July 1942) 

Nell
P.
Seroka
Nurse U.S.N.R.
"B"  T 1/42

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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
WWII Dog Tag
(between July 1942-May 1943)

Nell
P.
Seroka
Ens. N.N.C.- U.S.N.R.
 T-3-5-42     "B" 

Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
.... M-1943 Style Tag

Pauline
Dougherty
269563
 T 11/43    P
 USNR   B

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.Cuff Links 
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Rehulations prescribed the wear of plain white cuff links with the NNC ward uniform. Later plain gold cuff links were permitted as well. 
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White mother-of-pearl cuff links were most often used or gold cuff links with military-style designs (for example cuff links configured from regulation cap or collar devices). These could be bought at one's own expense from military sales companies. The nurse supply store at each hospital also sold a variety of military-style designs during the war.  ....

Cuff link with the insignia of the Navy officer's cap device
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continue to:
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Insignia
Medals and Ribbons
Service and Dress Uniform
Work Attire
Flight Nurse's Apparel
Miscellaneous
Dress Regulations
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[ I. Development ]..[ II. Facts about the NNC ]..[ III. Uniforms ]..[ IV. Sources ]
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