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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2561
Location: Rapid City, SD | Subject: Project for the day
Today, I'm going through Elmer's Official Military Records, and have come to the time line where he made RM/3c. But, this is the way it's printed: "RM3c (T) (SS)" What does the "T" mean?
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Old Salt
Posts: 489
Location: San Freakcisco CA area | Subject: RE: Project for the day
One often sees "A" and occasionally a "T" after WWII Navy rates -
The "A" is almost always seen only after a chief's designation in the WWII environment - which means he is an "acting" chief. He got to wear the chief's crow, but was paid between the first class and chief level. He was promoted by the CO due to merit and without regard to the complement of chiefs already on board - but had to await Bureau of Navigation (later BuPERS) confirmation before he became "permanent" and get the extra $$ that went with the permanent chief pay scale.
There were also 6 month and 1 year sea duty requirements associated with some acting/permanent appointments, i.e from pay grade 1A to 1 -- 1A was paid $99/mo and pay grade 1 received $126/mo in 1940, for example, so that acting designation had a big impact on pay. The equivalent to today's E-6 (first class) - or Pay Grade 2 in 1940 was $84/mo
During the late 50s thru late 60s, you would see RMC(A) (SS) for example and that was again an "acting" appointment. The difference between WWII and the 50s/60s, however, was a matter of authorized strength in various grades - a RMC(A) got paid at the E-7 level in the 50s/60s but he was "acting" for a few years before being made "permanent" just because of end strength limitations. Most LT(jg) and LT appointments were "acting" during that same timeframe for the same reason - you made "permanent" jg or LT very shortly before you got promoted to the next rank.
"T" however had a couple of slightly different meanings during WWII. Most of the time at Navy ratings below chief (i.e. Elmer's case) the "T" meant temporary. It is not all that clear (at least to me) whether a "temporary" got the pay of that grade or the one that he was "permanent" in.
Army and Army Air Corps designations of "T" meant "technical" -- i.e. a "tech sergeant" was a sergeant in a "technical" field like electronics or radar.
Which could explain Elmer's "T" -- during WWII, the Navy kept radar classified at the top secret level and there is a group of what we would today call radar technicians that were identified in WWII on-board records as "Radio Technicians" or "Radiomen Technical" to disguise the fact they had anything to do with radar if they were captured. There is a delightful fellow docent I work with on PAMPANITO named Bill Fong who was one of those WWII SS radar types in TAUTOG and he has shown me documention with both designations.
Is it possible Elmer was actually a radarman during WWII? - in which case the RM3c (T) (SS) documentation would correspond exactly with what Bill Fong has shown me.
Edited by SOB490 2007-10-15 5:01 PM
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2561
Location: Rapid City, SD | Subject: RE: Project for the day
I think he was aa radarman. I've just sorted through all his military records, and it seems that I saw that designation. I'll check them again, but not tonight. My eyes are getting fuzzy from trying to put things in chronological order.
Once he told me that a man had to do terrible things not to get a Good Conduct Medal. At the end of his service records there are a couple boxes with Xs in them. One says, "The above named individual is recommended for reenlistment. " The other one says, "The above named individual is not recommended for Good Conduct Medal." Surely this is a mistake. Would I like to talk to him today. He was one of the most mild-mannered people I have ever known. Well, except when he was tormenting me. He called it Yanking My Chain.
Sheesh!
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Project for the day
