VINTAGE MRITISH MERCHANT NAVY OFFICERS CAP BADGE

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VINTAGE MRITISH MERCHANT NAVY OFFICERS CAP BADGE Bullion gold wire with silver and gilt emblems cap badge to an Officer in the British Merchant Navy. Badge has a silver anchor to the centre, upon a plush red oval surrounded by a gold bullion wire wreath and surmounted by the naval crown. All on a black backing. The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom , and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) . King George V bestowed the title of "Merchant Navy" on the British merchant shipping fleets following their service in the First World War ; a number of other nations have since adopted the title.The Merchant Navy has been in existence for a significant period in British history, owing much of its growth to British imperial expansion. As an entity in itself it can be dated back to the 17th century, where an attempt was made to register all seamen as a source of manpower for the Royal Navy during times of conflict. [1 ] That registration of merchant seamen failed, and it was not successfully implemented until 1835. The merchant fleet grew over successive years to become the world's foremost merchant fleet, benefiting considerably from trade with British possessions in India and the Far East . The lucrative trade in sugar , spices and tea (carried by ships such as the Cutty Sark ) helped to solidify this dominance in the 19th century. Main articles: U-boat Campaign (World War I) and Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945) .During the First and Second World Wars, the Merchant Service suffered heavy losses from German U-boat attacks. A policy of unrestricted warfare meant that merchant seamen were also at risk of attack from enemy ships. The tonnage lost to U-boats during the First World War was around 7,759,090 tons, [2 ] and around 14,661 merchant seamen lost their lives. In honour of the sacrifice made by merchant seamen during the First World War, King George V granted the title "Merchant Navy" to the service. The Prince of Wales was made the Master of the Merchant Navy. [3 ]In the Second World War, German U-boats sank nearly 14.7 million tons of allied shipping, [4 ] which amounts to 2,828 ships (around two thirds of the total allied tonnage lost). The United Kingdom alone suffered the loss of 11.7 million tons, which is 54% of the total Merchant Navy fleet at the outbreak of the Second World War. 30,000 merchant seamen were killed aboard convoy vessels during the war, but along with the Royal Navy, the convoys successfully imported enough supplies to allow an Allied victory. The British steamer Andex sinking after being torpedoed by a U-boat. In honour of the sacrifices made during the two World Wars, the Merchant Navy lays wreaths of remembrance alongside the armed forces during the annual Remembrance Day service on 11 November. Following many years of lobbying to bring about official recognition of the sacrifices made by merchant seaman in two world wars and since, Merchant Navy Day became an official day of remembrance on 3 September 2000.Despite maintaining its dominant position for considerable time, the decline of the British Empire in the mid-20th century inevitably led to the decline of the merchant fleet. PLEASE SEE MY OTHER LISTING AS I AM BREAKING MY MILITARIA COLLECTION FROM THE LAST 30+ YEARS. IT CONSISTS OF BADGES / MEDALS / BUTTONS / HEAD DRESS / BOOKS / UNIFORMS / SCOTTISH REGIMENTAL PIPERS AND OTHER MILITARIA. SORRY, NO LISTS AVAILABLE read more

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