Miklós Lovász wrote:In the long running and rather popular series, the time-traveling Grantville community start their own military force, which than combines with Gustavus Adolphus' mainly Swedish army and navy and, with the addition of newly raised units becomes the United States of Europe's Armed Services.
There are a few mentions of NCO's and officers wearing US-style insignia, but I was wondering, how the system would have looked. My guess is that the base would be the US-system, but simplified (i.e. closer to the British one in number of NCO ranks) and with some European influences, too - after all, the Grantville Library did have at least one copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica and probably of some additional encyclopedias, too, while in the same time we know that there were military history buffs among the community.
Any thoughts?
Haven't read the series, but based upon your post, I'd say the (former) Canadian system would be a good system to mimic. Army enlisted and Navy officer ranks, perhaps omitting some positions for ease of insignia manufacture.
Knowing how they fight (like their now contemporaries or like a 21st Century force) and what weapons they use (period weapons or modern) could play a factor. If they fight like 1632ians
then brighter colors for ranks and uniforms(with differing cuffs, and/or collars, trousers, etc.) would likely be used. If they are more modern in their thinking/gear, 'camouflage' might be used.
Based on what you've given, my hypothetical is:
Enlisted:
Private. The clothes on their back, maybe a uniform, or a uniform color. Blue, maybe?
Lance corporal through sergeant, 1 to 3 chevrons.
Sergeant major. An officer's 'uniform,' whether it's just a darker shade of blue, or a gorget, or simple a breastplate. Maybe with a sergeant's three chevrons.
Second lieutenant through colonel would wear the naval stripes.
Generals may use flag officer stripes, or may simply use stars.
Of course, if I were doing a complete ... kitting out, I guess, of the USE forces, I'd do something a bit different.
The (forest/woods/etc.) uniform would be a double breasted 1700s Colonial hunting shirt (or a Western 'mountain man' or Native American buckskin getup) in terrain appropriate colors. The piping, thread used to sew the pieces together, etc. would be of a darker shade of the fabric. Collar, lapels, turnbacks, and cuffs would be done in a similar nature, but reversed. So the shirt would be light green, the piping and threads dark, while the collar and cuffs would be dark green with light green piping/treading. If the buckskin is used, the tassels would be of darker green material.
Brown trousers with dark brown stripes down the sides, and the front and rear. Dark brown tassels would be used if the buckskin getup is used.
Rank insignia would be black (or dark brown) and limited to the collars and cuffs.
Privates (I'd likely term them volunteers, or soldiers)would wear the uniforms alone.
Lance corporals (I'd likely call them (fire)team lead(er)s)) would wear one bar/ring.
Corporals (I'd likely call them squad or section lead(er)s)would have two. The other ranks simply increase the number of bars.
Sergeants (I'd call them (company) quartermasters or (company) adjutants.)
Sergeant major ( I'd call them (regimental) QM or adjutants.)
Officers:
Ensign, one bar. Or a gorget, with the number of bars being one less for lts. and cpts.
Lieutenant, two.
Captain, three.
Commander, 1 thicker (composed of two or three stripes touching/overlapping.
Major, 1 thick, 1 thin.
Colonel, 1 thick, 2 thin.
Brigadier, two thick, 1 thin.
General, two thick, 2 thin.
Marshal, two thick, 3 thin.
I'd prefer to keep ranks unique whenever possible, hence the lack of second lt, lt. colonel, etc. A conventional system wouldn't be ruled out, though.
An alternative rank scheme would use different colors to denote the ranks.
All of this is contingent on manufacturing capabilities.
