PT Boat Forum


Moderated by: Dick, Jeff D

The PT Boat Forum ª PT Boats of WWII ª  PT Boats - General

Page: 1 of 1

« Back to Topic Index Page 195 | Replies: 8

 Author  Topic: How many shellbacks do we have
Russell Pullano

Advanced Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Russell Pullano   Send Email To Russell Pullano Posted on: Dec 26, 2008 - 8:16pm
I don't recall anyone mentioning crossing the equator. I;ll bet there are som funny stories. It has nothing to do with PT boats, but so do a lot of the stories that are interesting and funny.
I crosed twice, but I couldn't show anything that I did so I got to go through the initiation twice. Yet I can't recall much about it. It was quite a big event I remember.


Total Posts: 131 | Joined: Oct 23, 2006 - 7:31am | IP Logged

BobPic

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 6:18am
On patrols around Biak and the general area, we crossed the equator many times. Since most all the crew was in the same boat (no pun intended) we didn't have any ceremony. We did get a shellback card sometime later but didn't attach much attention to it. On my second tour, I had to go to Australia aboard a large ship and had a difficult time getting the crew to recognize my PT card. The ceremony they forced polywogs through was something to avoid. They let me off, but wouldn't give me their official card.


Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

BobPic

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 6:19am
On patrols around Biak and the general area, we crossed the equator many times. Since most all the crew was in the same boat (no pun intended) we didn't have any ceremony. We did get a shellback card sometime later but didn't attach much attention to it. On my second tour, I had to go to Australia aboard a large ship and had a difficult time getting the crew to recognize my PT card. The ceremony they forced polywogs through was something to avoid. They let me off, but wouldn't give me their official card.


Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

QM

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 7:42am




IMPERIVM-NEPTVNI-REGIS

12/3/43

Latitude 00000 Longitude xxxxx

USAT Boschfontein

This ship was an Army transport. Most of the passengers were Army personnel. They were an organized group that had a little planned activity each day. One of the forward cargo holds was filled with a mixed group of sailors. There was no formal organization and we just ate two meals per day slept and killed time. The ship had several gun tubs mounted at various positions with a Navy armed guard unit aboard. A group of us were selected to relieve the armed guard personnel. There were gun tubs mounted on each side of the bridge. We stood watch in those gun tubs for two or three four hour watches each day. during the ceremony I was on watch in the port side gun tub looking down at the ceremony. It did not appear to be too rough, but I escaped the activity by being on watch at the time. My northbound crossing of the equator was as a passenger on a Navy Coronado. The passengers were about ten PT Boaters.

What could the armed guard personnel have done with their spare time?

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged

CJ Willis

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of CJ Willis  Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 9:31am
Russell:
I crossed the equator aboard a Dutch freighter enroute from Oakland to New Caledonia. We were served two meals a day and had salt water showers. Fresh water only to drink. It was a 31 day trip unescorted. There were about 60 of us Navy personnel aboard and all were polywogs, including the officers, so there were no shellbacks for the initiation ceremony. The Dutch crew did give us cards showing we had crossed the equator.

C. J. Willis

Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm | IP Logged

Russell Pullano

Advanced Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Russell Pullano   Send Email To Russell Pullano Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 9:41am

,QM,
Memory has taken a toll on me, but I vaugely remember that we had to kiss King Neptune's bare fat belly. Also near the end of the ceremoney, we went up a few steps to a chair which was positioned with it's back at the edge of a improvised Pool. I don't remember what they did to us while in the chair, but when they were finished, the chair was tilted back and we fell into the pool. When we climbed outr of the pool there was a wooden chute that we crawled on that was lined on both sides with crewmen with paddles,and as we slid down to the deck they whacked us moderately hard, but not hard enough to cause any harm.



Total Posts: 131 | Joined: Oct 23, 2006 - 7:31am | IP Logged

29navy

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of 29navy  Posted on: Dec 29, 2008 - 4:42am
I did, in 1980 WESTPAC cruise.



Charlie

Total Posts: 598 | Joined: Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm | IP Logged

  TED WALTHER

TOP BOSS
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Dec 29, 2008 - 9:30am
I did last last November! Arabian Sea on way to Bangladesh.
Take care,
TED


Total Posts: 3058 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am | IP Logged

newsnerd99

New Member
  

    
Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jan 1, 2009 - 5:09pm
My grandfather was a "pollywog" and underwent the Shellback ceremony on the SS Matsonia in February of 1945 - he was moving from Ron 15 to the Pacific (Ron 23). Here's the photos:







Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered | IP Logged


Lock Topic

 

Forum Legend

New Member

Reply to topic

More than 25 posts | Full Member

Reply to topic with quoted message

More than 50 posts | Advanced Member

Edit Message

More than 150 posts | MASTER

View profile

More than 300 posts | TOP BOSS

Email member