Ottoman Imperial Navy uniforms had changed very little from the 1876 to 1908 period. By 1909, the Navy Infantry had been abolished, and Navy officers had adopted a new rank board system, to wear alongside the traditional cuff insignia that was based on five new service branch colours (illustrated on the Plate below), these were:

• Dark Blue (Combat Branch).
• Red (Engineering).
• White (Administration).
• Light Blue (Construction and Mechanical Engineering).
• Blood Red Velvet (Medical).

This system lasted till 1916, when the Imperial Navy adopted the same shoulder boards as used by the Army.

Below - Imperial Ottoman Navy steamship ranks above the Navy ONBASI (Corporal), CAVUS (Sergeant), BASCAVUS (Sergeant-Major) [1], underwent a major change in the 1908-1914 period with an update to the junior officer gades rank insignia [2]:

A: Company Adjutant (Master Chief Petty Officer).

B: Master Gunner.

C: SERDUMEN (Quarter-Master)

D: 1st Stoker.

E: 2nd Stoker.

These indicate that in 1908/1908 (as this is when these illustrations were first made), that the rank insignia for the Company Adjutant, Master Gunner, and SERDUMEN (Quarter-Master), appear to have been updated with a new group of insignia. These new insignia, used gold chevrons, an anchor topped with a star (possibly a star and crescent), reflecting these as Petty Officer(s), and a Cheif Petty Officer [3].

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[1] Navy ranks such as the ONBASI (Corporal), CAVUS (Sergeant), BASCAVUS (Sergeant-Major), wore red chevrons.

[2] Extracted/redrawn from illustrations contained in Askeri Müze ve Kültür Sitesti Komutanligi. (1986) Osmanli askeri teskilat ve kiyafetleri: 1876-1908 [Ottoman military organization and uniforms] Yayinlari: 74.

[3] Transition in nany ranks from the steam ship period:

The 1876 till 1908 Ottoman imperial navy sailors' wet weather gear, was still in use:

• Sailors wear a long skirted grey canvas pull-over (windcheaters) with hoods.
• Waterproof leggings (that fully enclose the feet). These fully enclosed leggings, which they pull up, and attached to a belt strap around their waist.

WW1 British references refer to, "Ottoman Marines" [1][2]. These are ordinary sailors trained for land duty as infantry soldiers to protect navy port facilities [3], and for navy landing parties.

ABOVE: Imperial War Museum Collection photograph Q 50360, caption: "Unit of Turkish Marines on the march".

The WW1 land-service uniform consisted on the standard ship's uniform with black boots (sailors were bare foot on ships); white version of the post-1913 kabalak [Enveriye], that had been adopted by the army; and, 1876 infantry equipment.

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[1] Sir Douglas Austin Gamble's report. This states, "there was around 9000 Marines around 1906/07, but was reduced to around 4000 by 1918."

[2] Imperial War Museum Collection photograph Q 50360, caption: "Unit of Turkish Marines on the march".

[3] See 1876 Imperial Ottoman Navy Infantry Battalion.