PHOTO GALLERY FIVE:
The photos in this gallery were taken aboard the USS ERIE during pre-World War II "Crossing the Line" ceremonies.
These images are scans of black and white photographs taken by Machinist's Mate 1c Louis Hyde and Baker 2c Joe Osenkowski. All of these photographs are in the public domain and may be freely copied.
A long-standing naval ceremony (a tradition that began in the days of the Vikings) is repeated every time a ship crosses the Equator. Known simply as "Crossing the Line," this ceremony is partly a celebration of a seaman's rite of passage, part hazing (at least until recent years --- see below), and partly an opportunity to engage in some good-natured fun.
During Crossing the Line festivities, there were only two classes of men: "Shellbacks" (all those officers and enlisted men who had previously been initiated and had a card to prove it) and "Pollywogs" or "Wogs" (all those officers and enlisted men who had not previously crossed the Equator and those who had but couldn't prove it).
The proceedings and the punishments inflicted varied from ship to ship, but most Crossing the Line ceremonies proceeded along the following lines.
The evening before a ship was to "cross the line," King Neptune sent a message to the ship's captain advising of the presence of certain slimy pollywogs aboard the vessel and of his intention to come aboard, hold court and turn them all into Shellbacks fit to sail on Neptune's raging main. The flag of "Neptunus Rex" (and often a "Jolly Roger") was hoisted aloft. The Royal Party made its formal appearance. Accompanying King Neptune were Davy Jones, Queen Aphrodite and her attendants: the Royal Scribe, the Royal Doctor, the Royal Dentist, the Royal Baby, the Royal Scholar, and a gang of enforcers called the Royal Police (cops --- sometimes called "bears"). Often the evening included the reading of formal charges against all the Wogs by Davy Jones and entertainment for the Royal Court and all of the "Trusty Shellbacks." A summons was then issued for all Wogs to appear before the Court the following day
The next day, the Pollywogs assembled before the Royal Court. Naturally, all were pronounced "guilty" and then subjected to a wide range of punishments inflicted by the Shellbacks (many of whom were dressed as pirates) and various members of the royal retinue. The punishments included: running a paddling gauntlet; crawling through a garbage filled chute; being treated with foul-tasting "medicines"; emersion in the Royal Dunk Tank (a pool of sea water and oil); a visit to the Royal Barber and the Royal Doctor (where one's hair was irregularly cut and various concoctions were injected into one's nose and mouth); kissing the Royal Baby's tar-covered belly, etc. The ceremonies generally concluded with a hosing down or dip in a bath, before King Neptune declared them fit to become honorable Shellbacks.
As can be seen in the Crossing the Line images taken aboard the ERIE, this ceremony involved some pretty extreme hazing. While such actions were tolerated for hundreds of years within the US Navy, this is no longer the case. In recent times, the presence of women sailors aboard ship has tempered some of the "punishments." More importantly, a widely publicized Marine "blood pinning" incident (qualification pins were pressed into the chests of 30 jump-qualified recruits) in 1997 resulted in the Navy establishing a zero-tolerance policy for hazing during Crossing the Line ceremonies. As a result, today's ceremonies have apparently become voluntary and relatively tame aboard most US Navy ships.
Click here to view pictures of Crossing the Line shenanigans aboard the ERIE. Once the viewing window opens, maximize the window for enhanced viewing.