Sailors in the Royal Navy during World War II could wear it after sailing on Mediterranean cruises. The palm tree has two meanings, depending on your navy. Sailors tattooed with harpoons were serving or had served in a whaling or fishing fleet.Īnother badge of honor earned for crossing the Equator.
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When they pass the date line, they’ve gained a full 24 hours. When someone sails from East to West, they set their clock back one hour for every 15 degrees of longitude they pass. The International Date Line is the imaginary line of longitude that separates two calendar dates. When a sailor crossed the International Date Line, he earns the right to wear the Golden Dragon tattoo. Wearing a dragon means the sailor has served in China. This tattoo means the sailor is loyal and willing to fight anything, even something as sweet and beautiful as a rose Sailors aboard the USS New Jersey (National Archives) Worn on the soles of a sailor’s feet, these are thought to ward off sharks When ships went down, the crates floated, and the animals inside would sometimes be the only survivorsĪnother good luck charm that allows a sailor to find his way home. The Navy shipped these animals in crates at the time. The foot tattoos of pigs and roosters were worn by sailors in WWII in the hopes it would keep the sailor from drowning. Anything that gave them the edge in saving their own lives was worth doing. Sailors were a superstitious bunch and life on a sailing ship was tough (to say the least). Holding fast means the sailor isn’t going to let the line go, no matter what. Sailors hope it brings them good luck while gripping the rigging. These words are a charm spelled out on the four front-facing fingers on each hand. Sailors wearing the crossed anchors on the webbing between their thumb and index finger are identifying themselves as boatswain’s mates, the guys who maintain the deck and take care of smaller boat operations and damage control parties. Hula girls signify the sailor has been to Hawaii. Deckhands are still common in ocean-going vessels, though they’re far less likely to be maintaining wooden ships. The Merchant Marine casualty rate was 3.9 percent, whereas the Marine Corps’, the next highest, was only 2.94 percent.Ī knot of rope on a sailors wrist identifies him as a deckhand, someone who maintains the hull, decks, superstructure, mooring, and cargo handling. was delivering war supplies to Britain through Lend-Lease, Nazi u-boats targeted U.S. In wartime, this fleet is mobilized to carry war materiel, including troops and supplies.ĭuring World War II, the Merchant Marine took a beating with high casualties, entering the European war long before the United States itself. The circumference of the earth is 21,639 nautical miles, just about 4.16 sparrows.Ī single anchor means the sailor crossed the Atlantic or has been a member of the merchant marine, a fleet of civilian ships that carries military cargo. Sailors earn a new swallow tattoo for every 5,000 nautical miles traveled, which is about 5,754 regular miles, roughly the distance between New York City and Tel Aviv. The crossed cannons mean a veteran has seen military service as a sailor. RELATED: 8 Weird ‘off-the-books’ traditions in the US military 4. If you’re unsure what exactly this means, We Are The Mighty has an explainer for you: Sailors can wear the Shellback Turtle when they get initiated into King Neptune’s Court after crossing the equator. The nautical star is a five-pointed star in dark and light shades counterchanged to resemble a compass rose. The star is a symbol of a sailor always to be able to find his way home. A fully-rigged ship is one with three or more masts, square sails fully deployed. Here’s the meaning behind a few of the classics:Ī tattoo of a fully-rigged ship from the age of sail means the sailor had been around Cape Horn, the rough, stormy waters around the southern tip of South America. Navy, however, has a long tradition of tattoos. military that every branch has its own policy as part of its uniform regulations, but a few years ago that wasn’t the case. These days, tattoos are so commonplace in the U.S.