Copyright © Hans Högman 2024-12-09
Coast Artillery Rank
Insignias, Sweden
Introduction
The Swedish Navy (Swe: Marinen) is a
maritime service branch of the armed
forces and consisted between 1902 and
2000 of the following two services: the
Naval Fleet and the Coast Artillery.
Branches of the services within the Swedish Navy:
•
The Naval Fleet — “Flottan” (the surface
warfare flotillas, the mine warfare flotilla, and
the submarine flotilla.)
•
The Coast Artillery — “Kustartilleriet” (the
former Coast Artillery Corps 1902-2000.)
Under the Navy, the Naval
Fleet and the Coast Artillery
were two independent
branches. The Navy was
(and is) composed of
surface and submarine
naval units—the naval fleet
(Flottan), formally
sometimes referred to as the Royal Navy (Kungliga
Flottan) — as well as the Coast Artillery Corps
(Kustartilleriet).
On July 1, 2000, the Swedish Coastal Artillery was
disbanded and reorganized as the Swedish
Amphibious Corps.
The Coast Artillery Services were responsible for
coastal defense and had their own ships, coastal
artillery fortifications, mining-laying and mine-
sweeping duties, and special elite units for coastal
warfare—coastal rangers (Swe: Kustjägare).
In 2000, the Coastal Artillery was transformed into
the Amphibious Corps, and the stationary coast
artillery guns have been replaced with mobile
amphibious units.
From its establishment in 1902 until 1942, the
Coast Artillery wore uniform m/1902, which was
very similar to the naval uniform. Further, the rank
insignias used by the Coast Artillery
were until 1942 also very similar to
the ones of the naval fleet.
The image to the right shows a
Swedish coast artilleryman wearing
uniform m/1902 with a round cap. On
the cap band, it says Royal Coast
Artillery. Photo 1929.
The appearance of the rank insignia also resembled
that of the navy. The loop on the Coast Artillery's
officer insignia, however, was not round but more
oval, i.e., it resembled an onion.
The picture on the left shows the oval loop that was
present on the early uniforms of the
coastal artillery, m/1902. The insignia
shows the rank of captain.
With the gray-brown-green field
uniform m/1942 (combat uniform),
which was assigned to the Coast Artillery in 1942,
the Coast Artillery received a uniform adapted for
field service. The uniform was the same as the
army's field uniform m/1939. From 1942 and the
field uniform m/1942, the Coast Artillery received
rank insignia of the same appearance as in the army,
i.e., the same names for the ranks (major, colonel,
etc.) as the army.
The m/1942 jacket was equipped with shoulder
flaps where the coast artillery's service branch
insignia, two crossed cannon barrels, were
placed. The collar patches were red, and private
soldiers wore the unit number here. Officers wore
rank insignia on the collar patches.
From the uniform m/1958 onward, the shoulder
flaps disappeared from the coast artillery uniforms.
The collar patches were given the same
appearance as the army, i.e., the red color on the
collar patches of the coast artillery was removed.
All rank insignias from Corporal up to
Sublieutenant in the Coast Artillery include not only
the rank designation itself but also the Coast
Artillery's service branch insignia, two crossed
cannon barrels, etc.
The Coast Artillery rank insignia 1902 -
1942
As mentioned above, the coast artillery's uniform
and rank insignia had an appearance reminiscent
of the navy's until 1942. The loop in the Coast
Artillery's officer insignia, however, was not round
but more oval. Regarding the uniform, the only
significant difference was that the jacket worn by
officers and non-commissioned officers in the
Coast Artillery had a standing collar. Regarding the
sailors' jacket in the navy versus the soldiers' jacket
in the coast artillery, the one in the navy had an
open fold-down collar.
Below are examples of rank insignia on the Coast
Artillery uniform m/1902.
From left: 1. Kapten, 2. Löjtnant, 3.
Överstelöjtnant, 4. Styckjunkare, 5. Sergeant, 6.
Underofficers- korpral, 7. Menig.
From left, English: 1. Captain, 2. Sublieutenant, 3.
Lieutenant, 4. Gunnery Sergeant, 5. Sergeant, 6.
Non-Commissioned Corporal, 7. Private.
Image: Wikipedia.
Military rank insignia – The Swedish
Coast Artillery 1902 - 2000
The Coast Artillery rank insignia 1942 - 1958
Just before World War II, a new field uniform for
the army, m/1939, was established. The Coast
Artillery, since its formation in 1902, has worn
uniforms of the same type as the navy. The Coast
Artillery's uniform m/1902, however, was not a
uniform adapted for land combat but primarily
adapted for service aboard warships.
When the army introduced a new field uniform in
1939, it was decided that the coastal artillery would
also be assigned it. This happened in 1942, and
therefore the coast artillery's field uniform was
given the model designation m/1942. The m/1942
jacket was equipped with shoulder flaps where the
coast artillery's branch insignia, two crossed cannon
barrels, were placed. The collar patches were red,
and private soldiers wore the unit number here.
Officers wore the rank insignia on the collar patches.
The image to the right shows
the red collar patches on the
Coast Artillery uniform m/1942,
officer - Sublieutenant. Image:
Armémuseum, ID: AM.008265.
With the field uniform m/1942, the coastal artillery
moves away from the rank insignia it previously had,
which resembled the navy's rank insignia. Instead,
they start using rank insignia similar to the army's,
i.e., stripes, buttons, and stars.
Below, the Coast Artillery rank insignia, m/1942:
In English:
•
Menig = private soldier
•
Vicekorpral = Vice Corporal
•
Korpral = Corporal
•
Uoff 2 gr. = Non-commissioned officer rank
•
Flaggkadett = Non-commissioned officer rank
In English:
•
Fänrik = Second Lieutenant
•
Löjtnant = Lieutenant
•
Kapten = Captain
•
Major = Major
•
Överstelöjtnant = Lieutenant Colonel
•
Överste = Colonel
•
Generalspersoner = Generals
Coastal Artillery rank insignia on uniforms
m/1958 and m/1959
The experiences from World War II highlighted the
need for both summer and winter uniforms, as well
as a uniform that was better suited for modern
warfare. Field uniform m/1958 was a winter
uniform and a modernization of the earlier field
uniform m/1939 (m/1942 in the Coast Artillery).
Rank insignia and service branch insignia were
affixed to the collar patch m/1958. The collar
insignia was made of green textile bands with lighter
green longitudinal stripes. The insignias themselves
were in yellow. See the image below of the m/1959
uniform. Service branch insignia were worn on the
right collar patch or on both. Rank insignia were
worn on the left collar patch.
In 1959, a new field uniform made of cotton fabric
and in olive green color, m/1959, was introduced.
This was a new field uniform, primarily for use during
the summer months.
Like on the uniform m/1958, the collar patch
m/1958 was used, which was attached to the collar
tips. Service branch insignia were worn on the right
collar tip or on both. Rank insignia were worn on the
left collar tip. The m/1959 uniform, like the
m/1958 uniform, lacked shoulder straps.
The image on the left shows the collar
patch m/1959 for a private soldier with the
Coast Artillery's branch insignia.
The rank insignia were worn on the collar
patches. New for the rank insignia on the collar patch
m/1958 was that the regimental officers received a
crown along with 1 - 3 stars. Rank insignia were worn
on the left collar tip of the service jacket/coat.
The rank insignia:
•
1 crown plus 3 stars - Colonel (Överste)
•
1 crown plus 2 stars - Lieutenant Colonel
(Överstelöjtnant)
•
1 crown plus 1 star - Major
•
•
3 stars - Captain (Kapten)
•
2 stars - Lieutenant (Löjtnant)
•
1 star - Second Lieutenant (Fänrik)
•
•
3 star buttons - First Sergeant (Förvaltare.) The
rank was used, among other times, between
1945 and 1972.
•
2 star buttons - Gunnery Sergeant
(Fanjunkare/Styckjunkare/Flaggjunkare (KA)).
•
1 star button - Staff Sergeant (Swedish Sergeant).
•
•
1 broad stripe plus 3 narrow stripes - ??
(Rustmästare/Flaggfurir (KA).)
•
4 narrow stripes - Senior Sergeant (Överfurir).
•
3 narrow stripes - Sergeant (Furir)
•
2 narrow stripes - Corporal (Korpral)
•
1 narrow stripe - Lance Corporal (Vicekorpral).
•
Only service branch insignia for privates
•
Service branch insignia for private soldiers were
worn on both collar tabs, and for officers on the
right collar tab. They were made of textile bands
just like the rank insignia.
Examples of rank insignia on collar patches
m/1958:
From left: Sergeant (Furir), Staff Sergeant, Lieutenant,
and Major.
Coast Artillery rank insignia on uniform
m/1960
A new service dress uniform was established in 1960,
the m/1960. It had a completely different appearance
than the two field uniforms, m/59 and m/58. The
color was steel gray.
The m/1960 jacket in the army was equipped with
shoulder straps. The Coast Artillery's m/1960 jacket,
on the other hand, lacked shoulder straps.
The Coast Artillery's service branch insignia is on the
right chest, not on the collar tabs like in the army.
The rank insignia, however, were worn on the collar
tabs in the Coast Artillery.
The image shows the Coast
Artillery's m/1960 jacket for an
officer, Captain. The rank insignia
are on the collar tabs, and the
branch insignia, the two crossed
cannon barrels, are on the chest.
