History, War

Crossing the Line

66 Comments

One of the more colorful naval traditions Americans inherited from Mother England is the initiation of sailors and passengers the first time they cross the equator. Think of it as a baptism at sea.

My father, Clayton Tuggle, served on the USS Birmingham in World War II. Seriously battered and burned in the Battle of Okinawa, the Birmingham limped to Guam and later to Honolulu for extensive repairs. The sailors enjoyed their shore leave, but knew the ship was being prepared for the final invasion of Japan. However, Japan’s surrender on August 15 changed everything. The Birmingham’s new mission was to sail to Brisbane to serve as the flagship for the Commander of U. S. Naval Forces in Australia.

On September 15, 1945, as the Birmingham steamed toward Leyte Gulf, Captain R. H. Cruzen received an urgent request from King Neptune, the monarch of the sea. Neptune was greatly troubled that the ship was infested with Polywogs who had never before crossed the equator. Captain Cruzen graciously accepted the King and his consort, Salacia, the lovely goddess of the sea (in photo above).

The Polywogs were so numerous and so green that King Neptune summoned the Devil to oversee the purification process. The Devil enthusiastically administered the proper cure to the Polywogs, including immersion in seawater, crawling through kitchen refuse, and wearing women’s clothes.

Officers were not spared. Above, a recent Midshipman School graduate (90-day wonder) marches cheerfully to his doom. Sailors who had previously been initiated – Shellbacks – look on approvingly.

Not even the pilot of the Birmingham’s single seaplane was spared from the Devil’s not-so-tender mercies.

With their sins forgiven, their greenness thoroughly washed away, and their worthiness proven, the Polywogs graduated to the rank of experienced Shellbacks and were inducted into the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep. Sailors got to let off steam, and King Neptune acquired hundreds of loyal subjects.

66 thoughts on “Crossing the Line”

  2. Pretty interesting process. I’d read some time ago, about a pierced ear with a cross earring (I’m assuming civilian ship) and always wondered if that was accurate.

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  4. Tradition is a wonderful thing, bonding and fun when the ‘job’ is tough. The Navy has many traditions, and this one continues today (although I don’t know the full extent.) Getting your head shaved after crossing the equator is big- women included! Thank you for sharing your father’s story and the wonderful photos!

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      1. What a shame to stop this tradition, because in the long run it’s what sailors remember and smile about. These are the stories they like to tell. I bet it’s tamed down now, but if we ever hit wartime again I hope it is revived in full glory. I ‘get it’. So did your dad.

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  7. Loved reading the history behind this initiation process. I recently came across a certificate confirming my father becoming a shellback.Now I understand what it was all about.

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  11. I have read (and seen pictures) of many crossing the line ceremonies. This is the first one (that I am aware of) that mentioned King Neptune’s Queen. But you would need a Queen to have the Royal Baby (which was usually the fattest, hairiest member of the Shellback portion of the crew). Fun story. Part of the pollywog initiation ceremony was to kiss the belly of the Royal Baby, which had had extra disgusting stuff rubbed on it. My husband has still retained his Crossing the Line card to prove that he never needs to go through the ceremony again!

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  15. This year my husband and I crossed the equator and a number of the guests volunteered for pretty much the same sort of stuff as shown. Neptune’s wife had a beard, the pollywogs were ritualistically mocked and then covered in slime. I’m so glad to see that things haven’t changed much at all.

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  20. Hi Mike, what a fascinating recount of naval traditions and your father’s experiences on the USS Birmingham during World War II! It’s incredible to think about the transformation from Polywog to Shellback, marking a significant rite of passage at sea. The blend of tradition, humor, and a hint of mischief in these ceremonies adds a unique flavor to naval life. Your father’s journey, from the intense battles to the lighter moments, truly captures the multifaceted life of a sailor. Thanks for sharing this intriguing slice of history!

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  21. It’s interesting how varied the rituals were. The cruising world has adopted the practice of marking an equatorial passage, although it’s obviously smaller in scale and doused more liberally with alcohol! I enjoyed your post, and learning a good bit of new history about the tradition.

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  28. A couple years ago, I wrote a book partially based on the experiences of an ancestor who traveled as a missionary from Pennsylvania to Liberia in the late 1830s when there was an effort to establish it as a colony for freed American slaves. As part of my research I found a voyage journal of one of the other missionaries that served with him. The ship he crossed the Atlantic on was not a Navy vessel, but still all those who were first-timers crossing the equator did participate in a ritual tribute to Neptune, similar to this one. It was so fascinating, I fudged the route my main character took in the book so that he could be a part of it. One of my critique partners is a retired Rear Admiral from the US Navy and when he read it, he said, “Well, that’s not quite the way we did it, but I guess it gets the job done.”

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  30. And so my Uncle Henry wasn’t telling a fib. He claimed it was good if you already knew how to swim and I guess if not you learned pretty fast lol

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      1. It was 1992, and it was probably a little worse. However, I was an “ESC” (extra special case) because I was attached to an admiral’s staff.

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