The Badge of the Royal Naval Medical Service

The new Badge of the Royal Naval Medical Service (RNMS) became official on 30 October 2013. The snake of Asclepius twined around a naval anchor is the perfect combination of historic symbols of both our Medical and Naval heritage. However, this badge is not new and in fact dates from the 18th century.

In 201 1, during force generation for Operation Herrick 14, the RN led medical group tried to order a number of crests for official gifts, but found that the commonly-used snake and staff with a Naval Crown had never been approved by the Ships' Names and Badges Committee, and was in fact an adaptation of the badge of the Army Medical Services. Further investigation revealed that there
was already a badge dating from 1715 that was adopted for the uniform insignia of Naval Medical Officers of the Sick and Hurt Board. The original badge did not, of course, include the Naval Crown, since it predates the Crown's adoption as the badge of the Navy by well over a century. The serpent and anchor would have been familiar to anyone in the Navy at that time, including Admiral Nelson
and James Lind, just as the crossed anchors of the Victualling Board continued in use for Pursers, the triple anchors of the Navy Board for Navigators, and the foul anchor of the Admiralty Board for Executive Officers.

The Sick and Hurt Board was responsible for medical services in the Royal Navy from 1715 to 1806. It was a separate (but subsidiary) body to the Navy Board, supplying Surgeons to Naval Ships, and running shore and ship hospitals. It was also responsible for prisoners of war.