Red Sea Rig : Navy Uniform
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NAVAL OFFICERS’ EVENING MESS DRESS
RED SEA RIG
Story by Navy Veteran Vikram Karve
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Recently — I saw a news item about a proposal to introduce traditional Indian attire in Navy wardrooms in the drive to discard “vestiges of the colonial era” — and I wondered if “Red Sea Rig” (a “colonial legacy”) would be substituted by a suitable Indian dress.
I am posting a nostalgic picture of Naval Officers wearing Red Sea Rig clicked on INS NILGIRI around 45 years ago in the 1970’s.
(Yours Truly is in the centre)
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Do you want to know more about Red Sea Rig…?
Please read this blog I on RED SEA RIG that I wrote a few years ago…
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RED SEA RIG
Blog by Navy Veteran Vikram Karve
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Red Sea Rig was originally a Royal Navy concept appearing during the nineteenth century.
In the 19th Century — when the Sun never set on the British Empire — and the British Royal Navy ruled the waves — Royal Navy Officers were required to wear the full Naval Mess-Dress Uniform in Wardrooms on Warships.
The sole exception was when the ship was in the Red Sea — where the heat and humidity often made this physically impossible.
Here — Naval Officers were permitted to remove their mess jackets in the wardroom — provided they added a Cummerbund to temper the somewhat informal look.
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(A Wardroom is a Navy Officers Mess — on ships — and — ashore too)
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Since this modified evening mess-dress was worn when ships were in the Red Sea — this Naval Uniform was nicknamed as the “Red Sea Rig”.
Because of its comfort and practicality in hot and humid climates — “Red Sea Rig” was gradually adopted as daily summer evening mess-dress in tropical waters on ships and in Stone Frigates located in hot climate stations.
The Indian Navy (IN) evolved from the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) — and — adopted all its customs and traditions from the Royal Navy (RN).
“Red Sea Rig” is worn by Naval Officers as daily informal summer evening mess-dress in Wardrooms on board Warships and Naval Establishments.
“Red Sea Rig” consists of a white half sleeved shirt, worn with shoulderboards (rank stripe epaulettes) and chest medal ribbons and badges, with black trousers, black socks, black shoes, and a black cummerbund.
“Red Sea Rig” is worn at night in darkness hours — from sunset to sunrise (reveille)
“Red Sea Rig” is never worn during the daytime.
On most ships and naval establishments — officers change into “Red Sea Rig” after sunset.
A Naval Peak Cap is worn as headgear with “Red Sea Rig” when the Officer is outside the Wardroom.
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EPILOGUE
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In the 1980’s — a frontline Naval Warship — INS Rajput was affiliated to the Rajput Regiment of the Army.
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(I had the privilege of serving on this mighty Destroyer INS RAJPUT in the 1980’s)
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The affiliation of INS Rajput to the Rajput Regiment was the first inter-service affiliation.
In order to “celebrate” this affiliation — Officers of INS Rajput started wearing the colourful Regimental Cummerbund of the Rajput Regiment in the Wardroom instead of the Black Navy Cummerband.
Taking a cue — Naval Aviators started designing their own cummerbunds to wear with “Red Sea Rig”.
The CNS (Navy Chief) put a stop to this “colourful cummerband” fashion spreading any further — and orders were issued that only Navy Pattern Black Cummerbunds were to be worn with “Red Sea Rig” — which was a distinctive Naval Evening Mess Dress.
On the other hand — the Army and Air Force imitated the Navy — and they modified their Evening Mess Dress on the pattern of the “Red Sea Rig” — and today — both the Army and Air Force wear similar Black/White Evening Mess Dresses — though not as smart as the Navy “Red Sea Rig”.
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(Imitation can never surpass the Original)
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With the advent of Women Officers in the Navy in the 1990’s — an option was given to Women Naval Officers to wear a Black Cotton Saree (in lieu of Trousers) and White Half Sleeved Blouse (in lieu of Half Sleeved Shirt) — but — it has been observed that Women Officers prefer to wear the original “Red Sea Rig” instead of the Indianised Feminine Version.
A Navy sails across the oceans — and operates in international waters.
So — Naval Uniforms have an “international” flavour.
Hence — you will observe “Red Sea Rig” (or slight variations thereof) being worn in most Navies worldwide.
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VIKRAM KARVE
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Link to my source blog posts: https://karve.wordpress.com/2020/01/23/navy-uniform-red-sea-rig/ and https://karve.wordpress.com/2021/04/04/red-sea-rig-navy-uniform/ and https://vikramkarve.medium.com/red-sea-rig-582f30ecd2f6 etc.
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