Polly WOG or Shellbacks??

[Widow43-NICK]

All

I was watching a TV program yesterday called, ''Carrier'' on British SKY Digital. This particualar program was about USS Nimitz. It had a Sqn of FA-18s on board. During their journey they would cross the Equator. I believe that anyone that had not yet completed this trip is called a polly wog and sumone who has is a shellback.

There was alot of grunting and fighting involved in the ceremony. Just a few more cans of Beer and iT would of been real comedy!

Any of you guys taken part? and indeed aboard when it was filmed? There were a few pretty dodgy landings in bad weather on there too!

 

[JBM]

There was a pretty big topic on this a while back. Use the search function.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133484&highlight=shellback

 

[BigIron]

There was a pretty big topic on this a while back. Use the search function.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=133484&highlight=shellback

Pollywog is a person who has not crossed the equator on a ship. Shellback is someone who has. The ceremony is run by shellbacks and once the wogs cross the "finish line," they too become shellbacks.

The link provided to the earlier post is not really about shellbacks. It started to, but ended up entirely different.

 

[torpedo0126]

weird connection...my fraternity's chef in college is the father of one of the female 18 pilots in Carrier (the skinnier one).

i talked to her on the phone about it and she had some pretty cool/funny things to say about the making of Carrier, especially what ended up happening to some of the enlisted stories.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

weird connection...my fraternity's chef in college is the father of one of the female 18 pilots in Carrier (the skinnier one).

i talked to her on the phone about it and she had some pretty cool/funny things to say about the making of Carrier, especially what ended up happening to some of the enlisted stories.

You can read what has happened to some of the characters after the filming here:

http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/the_crew.htm

 

[kd5pbo]

Is this strictly a carrier thing, or does it happen on other platforms, too?

 

[BigIron]

It happens on all platforms including subs.

 

[brownshoe]

It happens on all platforms including subs.

Yeah sure does! Where the hell is Skeeterman when ya need him? I’m sure HE could tell us all about the ceremony. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist, there hasn’t been a Skeeterman joke in months.

Steve

 

[Lawman]

Is this strictly a carrier thing, or does it happen on other platforms, too?

An Army buddy of mine actually earned his shellback on a RoRo while he babysat their Hawks coming back from Iraq.

 

[D_Rob]

It happens on all platforms including subs.

Did mine on the Key West. The ceremony on the sub was, well, a lot of men in a very small space next to a nuclear reactor...

Glad I didn't go subs...

 

[Pistol719]

You can read what has happened to some of the characters after the filming here:

http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/the_crew.htm

LOL I never actually caught all this show... But I just noticed the CMC was my first CMC on the USS Belleau Wood about 6 years ago. That guy was a hardcore shipmate. On a ship of almost 2000 people he would know the names of damn there all his enlisted sailors, Not to mention have no problem screaming down the p-way to tell you to get a haircut. followed by

"SHIPMATE, Did you shave today?" or "SHIPMATE, who's your chief?"


BTW: Just to make this post relevant, I am a shellback and WoG day was a trip! Definately an experience to be had and all in good humor and fun. I know speaking for my department at the time, it made any pledging I did for a fraternity look like childs play... I can still feel the slight burn of tobasco between my ass cheeks

 

[GO_AV8_DevilDog]

Yeah sure does! Where the hell is Skeeterman when ya need him? I’m sure HE could tell us all about the ceremony. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist, there hasn’t been a Skeeterman joke in months.

Steve

Can we invite him back?



y'know, just to relive the flaming..

you can only read the old threads so many times :tongue2_1

 

[Redux]

It happens on all platforms including subs.

It's probably one of the the oldest maritime traditions in the entire world. Since the 80's it's been seriously watered down.

 

[Old R.O.]

From the Tailhook archives, some Crossing the Line stuff from the 1920s and '30s.

The Royal Court of King Neptune check out the polywogs on USS Langley (CV-1), 20 May 1936.

Polywogs in the pool in front of the Royal court

Polywogs run the gauntlet after the pool..
Warren K. Berner collection via Warren Berner, Jr.

Cartoon from a collection from the VB-2B cruise in USS Saratoga (CV-3), January thru March 1929 flying the Boeing F2B. The symbol of a flying turtle was put on Navy aircraft tails when the ship/squadron crossed the line.
A.P Storrs collection via Coronado Historical Association

 

[BigIron]

It's probably one of the the oldest maritime traditions in the entire world. Since the 80's it's been seriously watered down.

Yes. Being whipped with a shillelaghs is a thing of the past.