Lowry (DD 770) - Naval Cruise Book

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A HECK-OF-A TRADITION Shortly after leaving Singapore we began to notice a change in the crew. The Old Salts that had passed this way before at one time or another began to draw off to themselves and talking in low tones. We also noticed that nearly all of them began constructing strange looking contraptions which we later found out were to be used as upersuaders, initiators, paddles ciigovvhat have you . However, a little later on these items disappeared 6. ' . When the Pollywogs Cthose who had not crossed the equatorl got wind that we were going to cross the equator, they promptly declared the day prior to the crossing C2 July 19521 as Pollywog Day . Since the Shellbacks fthose who had been acrossj were out-numbered about 4 to 1 they took quite a beating on that day. There was much wrestling, raid- ing, tumbling and of course many fire hoses. One of the highlights of the day was a dispatch intercepted between the USS FOX and the USS LAFFEY. Said the FOX, the ,Pollywogs have taken over the ship . Re- torted the LAFFEY, embarassing isn't it . Needless to say, it was a weary, dripping, happy-go-lucky crew that turned into their bunks that night. Of course all the Pollywogs had pleasant dreams of the terribly tortuous events to take place the next day. Bright and early the morning of the 3rd day of July, all lowly, slimy, land-loving, liberty-going, Pollywogs were abruptly awakened from their slumber to save breakfast to all the highly honorable Shellbacks . The Pollywogs were considered too lowly to deserve any chow and so their paunches went empty. Along towards mid-morning the Royal High Court of the Ancient Order of the Deep boarded the ship and immediately all lowly, slimy, scurvy Pollywogs paid tribute by falling to their knees and kissing the deck. t After several trips around the deck of the ship with the deck treads scraping off the skin of both hands and knees, the Royal Court began session and passing out judgment to all intruders to the Royal Domain. In his turn each meek little Pollywog stepped to the head of the paddle line and presented the subpoena that he had been given a few days before and awaited his judgment. It was here that he found out the fruit- lessness of his efforts in throwing over-board the persuaders , because he was now faced with a long double line of angry looking She1lbacks , each one being armed with a length of fire-hose. It was between these two lines that he had to pass on hands and knees in order to reach the throne, kiss the Royal Baby and receive his judgment, which was guilty no matter how he pleaded. And so after he was operated on and the slime cut out he had one more vicious looking line of paddle swingers to pass. At the end of the line we found a slimy, soaked, exhausted, beaten glob of flesh that was too weak to walk, but never-the-less, glorifying in the fact that he was and ever will be of the Glorious Order of the Court of Neptunls Rex. -47..

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N +4 Polywogs bow for Royal Court Polywog Baby and Chief Captain with Royal Court ,ff