mikie Posted June 19, 2019 Share #1 Posted June 19, 2019 I just picked up a 1940 Bluejacket's Manual named to a sailor who served most of his time on DD-519, the USS Daly. He and the ship had an interesting history. I was wondering if these books were something the sailors kept with them while at sea, or were they left ashore or discarded once the sailor left training camp. Just wondering if this book was there for all the action the sailor and ship saw or not. Thanks! Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted June 24, 2019 Share #2 Posted June 24, 2019 I would imagine they were personal property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ON PATROL Posted June 24, 2019 Share #3 Posted June 24, 2019 In the early days, sailors would commonly keep them aboard ship, because that was pretty much the only place they could keep them. Most swabbies lived aboard. Then later they would keep a locker at a 'Locker Club'. That was where they would keep their civilian clothes and other things they didn't want or need aboard ship. Locker clubs pretty much ceased existence by the 1970's when the lower enlisted's could live ashore if they wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share #4 Posted June 24, 2019 Thanks for the replies. My two friends who were in the Navy in the 1990s did not bring them aboard ship. One told me that his superiors were quite good at reminding him of anything he may have shown to have forgotten from the book. So just a question of what was common to be done with these books in WWII. I appreciate your answering! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ON PATROL Posted June 24, 2019 Share #5 Posted June 24, 2019 As I am sure your friends told you, the amount of personal space each sailor has for storage is about 18 cubic feet, between his rack and his 'stand-up' locker. So, things that you really don't need, stay ashore. As for during WWII, Those guys had even less, especially if you were on one of the older tubs that had its mess area in the berthing, which may also be a workshop of some type. Need I say more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted June 24, 2019 Share #6 Posted June 24, 2019 Where Bluejacket Manuals issued to individual Sailors in Boot Camp, then and now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted June 24, 2019 From my research, it's been issued to all new recruits since around 1902 and is still issued to this day. The most recent edition seems to have been released in 2015. Quite a tradition. The newest edition I have seen in hand was the 1944. One of my friends still has his and will dig it out for me to see when I visit him in August. It would be interesting to see the first and most recent edition side by side. Imagine how it must have changed? Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted June 24, 2019 Share #8 Posted June 24, 2019 From my research, it's been issued to all new recruits since around 1902 and is still issued to this day. The most recent edition seems to have been released in 2015. Quite a tradition. The newest edition I have seen in hand was the 1944. One of my friends still has his and will dig it out for me to see when I visit him in August. It would be interesting to see the first and most recent edition side by side. Imagine how it must have changed? Mikie Thanks, I really wasn't sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ON PATROL Posted June 24, 2019 Share #9 Posted June 24, 2019 So, in answer to your original question; back then they may very well have had it with them. I believe that it may have been part of their 'seabag' in those days, which means you better have it. Post WWII, probably not, in fact most guys probably got rid of or lost theirs. An interesting point though; it is a common thing when going up for Chief, if you make the selection and have to go through the initiation, you may have to show that you have yours, preferably the original issued to you, but at minimum, it had better be the correct edition for your bootcamp period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share #10 Posted June 24, 2019 Thanks everyone for the replies. I appreciate you using up your brain cells on my question. There is a postcard type photo tucked inside the book. It shows the contents of the seabag spread out and labeled. The book is one of the items. Guess I'll never know for sure, but still an interesting, and I'm guessing a often overlooked, item that has been a part of every sailor's life for a very long time. It's been fun doing some research on it. Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted June 26, 2019 Author Share #11 Posted June 26, 2019 Just thought I'd post the thing that started all the trouble of getting my brain working up my question. Thanks again for taking a look here. Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Ambrosini Posted June 26, 2019 Share #12 Posted June 26, 2019 Those are great books. The one I have, a 1940 copy, was the "property of Joseph E. Feaster, LCT Crew 5096, Skipper" Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted June 26, 2019 Author Share #13 Posted June 26, 2019 Those are great books. The one I have, a 1940 copy, was the "property of Joseph E. Feaster, LCT Crew 5096, Skipper" Tom Like in those commercials, cost is a few dollars. Value as history, priceless. Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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