Royalty - Bishops..

Thistles starting out now...so I fancied a close-up of the purple bit..

Merchant Navy officer's gold braid was backed by coloured bands..

Deck Officers had just the plain gold bands

Catering Officers - white (some unkind stories about this colour for them..)

Radio Officers - green (as mine was..)

Medical Officers - red

Engineering Officers - purple.

A Chief Engineer once said to me that ......"Purple is reserved for Royalty, Bishops and Marine Engineers...not necessarily in that order of importance son..."

:-)