The Twentieth Century 213 



The " "how' and 'why' of it all" are here told in a book of some 23 pages with lively illustrations 

 and some blank pages for autographs. It opens with general remarks about King Neptune, and 

 then goes on to say: "thus begins one of the strangest ceremonies ever recorded in a ship's log, 

 the crossing of the Equator, and the initiation into the royal service of King Neptune. . . . And 

 so the traveller leams that mercy is unknown in the region of the Equator." 



Recorded incidents in the long life of Neptunus Rex make up the bulk of this accoimt, with 

 special attention given to the crossings of: van Linschoten in 1583, a Swedish traveler in 1751, 

 Woodes Rogers in 1712, Häuser Martingale in 1817, James Brady on the USPS Lancaster in 

 1877, the Duke of Windsor when Prince of Wales, King George and Queen Elizabeth in 1927, 

 USS Indianapolis in 1936 with President Roosevelt on his way to Rio, the Truman family in 1947 

 (also bound for Rio), the USS Pennsylvania in May 1936, etc., etc. 



1952 



(All Hands: The Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin. 

 October and November 1952) 



The above two issues come to sight with words about the "crossing" well worth noting. 



November gives pages 31 through 34 to "Are you a Whale Banger? A Blue Nose?" telling of 

 nearly twenty clubs in our navy with membership more stricdy hmited than in any Social 

 Register. Halftones of fifteen or more certificates given the rookie when he crosses the equator 

 or has other like experience on sea or land are all "unofficial, but they carry the weight of tradition 

 and growing customs with them." We know already how the Neptunus Rex certiBcate is given 

 shellbacks when they cross the equator. Rounding Cape Horn makes you a Mossback. Some of 

 us may not have knovra, however, that when you cross the Hne and round the Horn on the same 

 voyage, you become a "Homed Shellback." Crossing the International date hne westward boimd 

 lets you into the "Realm of the Golden Dragon." An "Arctic Circle" or a "Northern Domain of 

 the Polar Bear" certificate tells that the ovsmer has crossed the Arctic Circle. "The Royal Order 

 of the Blue Noses" is limited to sailors who crossed the Circle in the Operation Nanook of 

 July, 1946. From way down south comes the paper for "The Royal Domain of the Emperor 

 Penguin, Antarctica" entitling one "to all of the privileges of this frozen reahn of bHzzards, 

 including freezing, starving, shivering, and any other privileged miseries that can possibly be 

 extended during his stay in this land of answer to a Well Digger's Dream." 



A "Plank Owner's Certificate" gives the owner "clear and unencumbered title to one plank or 

 section of plank" from the deck of his decommissioned ship if he has been a member of the 

 commissioning crew. A variation is the "Shackle and Grommet Owner's Certificate" giving the 

 ovmer title to "a half-inch shackle from any ship in which he has served for 15 years or three 

 consecutive enhstments." 



Pilots forced to parachute from a disabled plane are members of the "Caterpillar Club." If a 

 pilot must ditch his plane at sea and take to a life raft, he may join the "Goldfish Club"; men 

 forced to spend more than 24 hours on a life raft through no choice of tlieir own may claim 

 membership in "Sea Squatters." If a carrier pilot on his way back crashes into the emergency 

 barrier because he faued to catch an arresting wiie, he becomes an honorary member of the 

 "High-floating Hook Bouncing Barrier Crashers," a distinction, it seems, if not an honor, he can 

 scarcely escape. If you fly through a tropical storm whirling at 100 knots or better you may belong 

 to the "Century Club" or the "Not so Ancient Order of Hurriphooners," conceived by hurricane 

 hunters down Florida Way. 



The "Royal Order of the Highjump" is for members of the U. S. Naval Antarctic Expedition 

 in the winter of 1946-47, and is in much the same class as the "Royal Order of the Mushroom," 

 open to men who saw the first atomic blast at Bikini atoU in 1946. The "Club of Honorary 

 Submariners" is open to men who have been totally submerged in a submarine, and the "West 

 of Shanghai-Manila Club" is made up of men who took part in the westernmost penetration of 

 Japanese-controlled waters by any American task force since the fall of Corregidor. 



Honors and distinctions vary, no doubt, but special note should be made of the "Royal Order 

 of Whale Bangers," limited to crews of ships that track and attack whales mistaken for sub- 

 marines. And two groups call for further notice: "The Royal Decree for Having Been Stationed 



