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» Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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» Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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» Topic: How many shellbacks do we have
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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.



Posted By: Russell Pullano | Posted on: Dec 26, 2008 - 8:16pm
Total Posts: 131 | Joined: Oct 23, 2006 - 7:31am



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.



Posted By: BobPic | Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 6:18am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



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.



Posted By: BobPic | Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 6:19am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered







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?


Posted By: QM | Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 7:42am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered



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

Posted By: CJ Willis | Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 9:31am
Total Posts: 464 | Joined: Nov 5, 2006 - 5:02pm




,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.




Posted By: Russell Pullano | Posted on: Dec 27, 2008 - 9:41am
Total Posts: 131 | Joined: Oct 23, 2006 - 7:31am



I did, in 1980 WESTPAC cruise.



Charlie

Posted By: 29navy | Posted on: Dec 29, 2008 - 4:42am
Total Posts: 598 | Joined: Dec 28, 2006 - 3:02pm



I did last last November! Arabian Sea on way to Bangladesh.
Take care,
TED



Posted By: TED WALTHER | Posted on: Dec 29, 2008 - 9:30am
Total Posts: 3058 | Joined: Oct 16, 2006 - 7:42am



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:

[image]http://www.pistolpackinmama.net/pb/wp_13aa7355/images/img31404471728229d538.jpg[/image]

[image]http://www.pistolpackinmama.net/pb/wp_13aa7355/images/img2153547172dc7c359d.jpg[/image]

[image]http://www.pistolpackinmama.net/pb/wp_13aa7355/images/img1497847173e48c05cd.jpg[/image]

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


Posted By: newsnerd99 | Posted on: Jan 1, 2009 - 5:09pm
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered