The current story I'm writing has a small segment set on a US Navy destroyer set in the West Pacific during WWII. Unfortunately, although I'm actually a Navy brat, that would be the Royal Navy, so I could do with some help with details for this part of my story. Any Takers?
I won't let out much of the story at this point, except to say that it's about five Aussie airmen who crash-land on a tropical island. Some time later, they get rescued by said destroyer. The airmen don't have any clothes by this time, so I expect that the Yanks will supply them with basic needs from Stores, as they might do for sailors and others who they might fish out of the sea. Which would be what, exactly?
Another issue might be the actual ranks and suchlike of the destroyer's complement. By that part of the war a RN destroyer might be commanded by a Lieutenant. What would the situation in the USN be? I need to have a basic understanding of the other ranks as well.
There are a few other details I might ask knowledgeable volunteers. If there are any, I would probably continue this as PMs so as not to give the entire game away before I publish.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Penny
You might find this useful:
You might find this useful: Wikipedia RN Ranks
See my PM for more info.
Anne
Stores
Boxer shorts, dungarees, blue kinda dungaree long sleeved work shirt, undershirts, a swabbie hat (sea blue during the war), lifejacket, razor, soap and toothbrush, and any other sundries, a haircut, and a shower, maybe freshwater, but not if potable water was short,but maybe an exception if they are treated as castaways, then a saltwater shower. Proably medicinal brandy at some point, but recall that U. S. Ships are "dry". If the ship is a destroyer, then the Captain is likely of the rank of Commander, if it is a Destroyer escort, then probably Lt. Commander, though the ranks were variable with need.
CaroL
CaroL
What ...
... no grog?
It's been discontinued now but certainly in the mid 1950s there was a daily grog (rum and water) ration for all RN seamen who were 18 and over. I assume it applied during the war. I know, because as a sea cadet we were berthed on a destroyer's mess deck immediately over the rum store and each day the purser opened it up to issue the ration. Unfortunately as we cadets were only 15/16 years old we weren't included :)
Robi
Dry
Nope, the junior navy was dry, and that meant that vists to RN ships were.....popular.
OK, it's someones doll, but...
http://www.actionmanhq.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=13393
That is a pretty good representation of what sort of uniforms were on hand. I'm not sure what kind of supplies the stores had on a DD in WWII, but at worst the sailors would donate clothes that fit.
Likely along with the stuff that Carol listed, some sort of candy, either hard or a Hershey's Chocolate Bar would be added to what was given. Hershey got themselves listed as a "necessary" (I can't remember the right term) company, and was not limited by the sugar rationing that other candy companies were.
If the destroyer had recently resupplied, it likely has such "luxuries" as fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, possibly ice cream. The US Military has always done it's best to keep the troops fed with the best available food.
During the second world war, US strategists were in awe
During the second World War, US strategists and tacticians were in awe of Japanese eyesight and night optics, and they took pains to be sure that clothing used at night did not reflect much light. Wearing the dungaree shirt with sleeves down was normal, regardless the heat. The sleeves down condition was battle stations protocol, since the thin cloth could actually protect against flash burns, at least mimimally. The white of a t-shirt was believed to be as good as a torch to Japanese optics in the conditions of the South Pacific. That's one reason the typical navy hats were blue rather than white until after the war. Handy little things, if you were blown over the side or otherwise wound up separated from your ship, the hat, rolled down into a pail shape, could trap enough air to help you stay afloat until rescued. If in a boat or rubber raft taking on water, the hats would bail with the best container. The blue shirts, wet, could also be filled with air around the shoulders by breathing into them and buttoning the upper button. The pants, dungarees, were bell bottoms, so they could be easily stripped off when wet or in water, legs tied together, and buttoned up, and then filled with air to act as floatation devices as well. Shoes were to be left on if you went over the side, as flashing white soles of feet were attractive to sharks and barracuda, the dark shoes didn't attract attention. So there was reason for the items in the shipboard everyday uniform. The fabric belt was endlessly useful, acting as a tourniquet, a cinch for the bottom of a pants floatation device, construction material for a shelter if cast away, and an impromptu weapon. Most sailors carried a folding knife with several blades on a lanyard that was looped around the belt, and it of course had endless uses.
A ship at sea for 30 days or more would be out of fresh stores in the first 15 unless there was a resupply vessel nearby, and in the early days of the war, those were few and far between. So canned food and dried beef would be the best available, milk was reconstituted powdered milk and generally best used for cooking rather than drinking. Refrigeration space was limited, so it was hard to keep it cold and more palatable. At times, during combat operations, food was taken to the battle stations, usually c-rations, or at best potted meat sandwiches or Spam sandwiches. Beans kept well, and were often turned to baked beans and served over toast. Potatos definitely had a short stores life due to the heat and humidity. Chipped beef ("dried corn beef") from a can was mixed into a gravy made with flour and powdered milk, and served over toast (known widely as shit on a shingle) and might make an appearance at any mealtime as well.
The selection might be limited, but there was usually lots of it, according to my father who served his time in the WWII navy in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. Canned peaches and canned cake were sought after and traded, as was the Hershey chocolate (often hard dark chocolate), which was hoarded and traded. If the ship made landfall at a South Pacific forward island base, the chocolate was "trade materials" for young lady's favors, though a few of the men might have hoarded a few silk stockings for the same purpose.
If you had good cooks on a ship, you usually had good morale. If not, then the morale was lousy and was reflected by poor ship upkeep and performance, though a poor captain or executive officer could make for bad morale too. Most ships ran on coffee, and it was a bad day when the coffee stores were gone and no resupply in the offing.
CaroL
CaroL
Life jackets?
Were they actually called that? Not Life Vests or Life Preservers?
In the British Merchant Navy they had horrible things called Board of Trade vests, which were tabard-like things with the front and back stuffed with cork. The problem was, when you jumped into the sea, the cork slammed up against your chin. Many, many seamen broke their necks before the design was finally changed.
Another type (name unknown) was filled with kapok, which is sort of like raw cotton. (Once had a job stuffing lifejackets with kapok. Evil stuff.) These jackets were mostly okay in seawater except when saturated with fuel oil from the sunk ship...
Dry ships, yes. As a lad I used to go with friends to tour US warships visiting Portsmouth (UK). We were amused and astonished that the messes served only something they assured us was beer...
Penny
Beer
You may recall that I have waxed sort-of-lyrucal on that subject. I have, though, come across some very,very nice US beers recently, a world apart from the preprepared urine that certain major companies throughout the West foist on us!
I could tell stories about US salors in Singapore.
[No don't yes do no don't oh all right then]
When I was there, the then Singers dollar was worth one and six, which is ninepence of the new Britsh money. The US dollar was around two to three to the pound. It used to be 4, which was why a half-crown was known as a half dollar. Anyway, at the time of which I write, assume a dollar was ten shillings (fifty pence)
Cue local taxi drvers.
"That fare ten dollar!"
"Say, feller, do you take American dollars?"
Oh yes indeed did they take them,one for one.
A certain long-lasting Singaporean politican had to threaten a caning for any such larceny for it to stop.
Funny beer
Too young for WWII or Korea, one thing I remember from Vietnam Tours was the really bad tasting American beer and cola. I am having little luck in finding back up documentation on the net but the beer and soda shipped out to us and stored on ship for rare beer days was preserved with formaldehyde. I expect that the same was done then. As for now, well transportation has improved so long storage times on these items are no longer needed but some comments suggest that this practice might continue on some Asian beers.
Travelling beer
Your remark is curious, because beer brewed properly - and I make no claims as to what properly might mean in terms of taste - should last quite a long time.
In Burton, Staffordshire, there used to be brewed in Victorian times (still is for all I know) a beer called India Pale Ale. This was shipped out to India (hence the name) in wooden barrels in sailing ships, the voyage lasting in some cases a considerable number of months. This was to supply the troops, ex-pats and Anglo-Indians of the sub-continent (they call it South Asia these days. Meh). If they could do that a hundred and fifty-odd years ago, why can't they do it now?
I suspect the reason is that most modern beer is "industrially" brewed and so mucked about that any staying power it once had has been removed in search of "cheaper, faster, quantity" with "cheaper" being the major consideration.
Asian beer? I look askance at that strange yellow stuff from Europe, so haven't tried any Asian beer. I suspect I'm not going to like it.
Penny
India Pale Ale
IPA is still brewed by many companies, and it is distinctive because it was heavily hopped, the extra hops acting as a preservative.
I remember the standard Singapore beer (Tiger) sold in cans and bottles. Rougher (military) bars would have, hanging on a piece of string over the bar, a 'church key', which was a bottle and can opener. Round at one end (for bottle caps) and pointed at the other (for making the TWO holes necessary in a can)
Twisted rumors
Actually, sitting on the deck of ships covered in tarps under a tropic sun was certainly enough to spoil the taste of any beer or soda. It was my experience in Asia that of American brews, only Pabst Blue Ribbon had any taste left at all. It was highly prized. :)
The rumors I heard were that the local beers, Ba Muoi Ba, San Miguel, Tiger and Singha were the ones with formaldehyde in them, not as preservative but to give them extra kick. Not so, they were just stronger than American (or for that matter, English or German) beers by a third or more.
Far as I can find out, there is a tiny trace of formaldehyde in some commercially brewed beer that comes from either equipment cleaning or from the degrading of a chemical added to make the beer clear instead of cloudy.
One interesting thing in Asia I found in hotel bars: If you asked for an American beer, it was served cold. Australian and French beer was served cool, not cold. Ba Muoi Ba was served over ice!!!! And if you asked for San Miguel, they asked you how you wanted it. :)
Hugs,
Erin
I think the whole thing about formaldehyde in beer started with some joke about if you drank enough, you wouldn't need to be embalmed. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
alcohol content in beer
I think American beers are generally weaker than most foreign beers. My ex-husband once told me this was related to excise rules dating from god-knows-when that imposed higher tax above a certain alcohol content. One beer that is stronger than most is Schlitz, but it's actually sold as "malt liquor" and attracts different taxation rates than, say, Bud or Coors. If my memory serves me correctly he mentioned 5% alchohol content as the cut off point. That would make a lot of microbrews and european brews "malt liquor".
I think the other reason for the distinction is that you're allowed to sell "beer" at a convenience store, but you can only sell "malt liquor" at an actual liquor store or bar.
I've no idea whether or not any of that's actually true, since he told me a lot of other crap, but it makes a certain sense.
not as think as i smart i am
Sales of Malt Liquor
The rules vary by state, I worked the last four years at a convenience store, in Wisconsin, third shift. I could sell malt liquors and beer up to midnight. Some stores would also sell hard liquors is pints or smaller. As for alcohol content, that is also by state, the national brewers tend to limit content to the lowest limits because the cost of trying to separate distribution, but there are some brews with much higher content in the micro brews.
As to life vests for US Navy airdales
The types used aboard ship are way too heavy, and as someone mentioned, can slip up and hit the wearer in the chin.
That is where the May West vest came into play.
It is quite light, which can be important on an aircraft, and easily inflated using either built in CO2 bottles, or by blowing them up using the included tubes. The design also meant that even if one was entering the water at high velocity, such as parachuting or when used aboard ship, going over the side, it would not so much damage.
It was used both for aviation, and aboard many ships.
From Wikipedia:
The Mae West was a common nickname for the first inflatable life preserver, which was invented in 1928 by Peter Markus (1885–1974) (US Patent 1694714) with his subsequent improvements in 1930 and 1931. The nickname was originated because someone wearing the inflated life preserver often appeared to be as physically-endowed as the actress Mae West. It was popular during the Second World War with U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force servicemen who were issued inflatable Mae Wests.
They were still in use when I flew in the US Navy in the late 1960s.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly