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Crossing The Line World Naval Ships Forums Archive

Crossing The Line

Posts 1 to 50

Has anyone else got certificates of theres or friends this is one of my neighbours Grandad Rom
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That's a lovely certificate! I do hope it gave the owner the protection over sharks that it claimed to. I am wondering why it doesn't display when your post appears.

Not sure Herks put my tank post up and one of the photos went like it ROM:confused:

Wonders what the other 'malpractise' could have been! Fantastic certificate!

Just dug out my father's - he was on the Landing Ship HMS Persimmon in the Far East, serving as a Royal Marine Signaller on LCAs. This is a printed colour certificate incorporating the date 8 Oct 1945 and the ship name, but his name and the signatures are now getting very faint.
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I have two certificates... but they are Merchant Navy, S.S. New Australia and M.V. Fairsea, so they don't qualify for this navy forum. Ian

I certainly would not obj:pect to them being posted, ROM

Neither would I object! It's all water after all.

It's easy to dismiss Crossing the Line certificates as somewhat frivolous but my father's (posted above) actually proved to be a useful historical document. When I started collecting medals in the 1970s, I knew my father had served in Indonesia after WWII. I started reading medal books and found out that servicemen could qualify for a General Service Medal for that time with a clasp SE Asia 1945-45 (as a RM it would be the Naval General Service Medal). I spoke with my father but his service papers didn't show that he qualified in that theatre. So he dug out the certificate from his father's house and was able to apply for his medal, albeit 30 years late. The certificate was issued a few days before their landings in Sumatra and he used the info to support his medal application, proving he'd been there.

Never crossed the Equater but received a Certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle

[QUOTE=Stan.J;7242]Never crossed the Equater but received a Certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle[/QUOTE] Then I think thats worth to post, no? Attached find my own, a rather poor quality copy of a nice coloured original. However they got the date wrong, it should be 2002, not 2007, and I just haven't got around to having it redone. K
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O.K. Kevin, It was a bit too big for my scanner so the outside got chopped a little. Have reduced it.
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A truly excellent post - keep them coming! Rom - The only reason your Grandfathers certificate does not open with your post is that it is above a certain size. I dont know what the exact size is when this happens - but it is always when toward the largest allowed...

Hello All! Herewith two Merchant Navy Certificates, the first was printed out on board the Q.S.S.S. " New Australia" ( managed then by Shaw Savill & Albion Line) in May 1953,issued to me; the other one pre-printed with the names added on board, was for a relation of mine on Sitmar Line's ( Societa trasporti Maritimi) M.V. "Fairsea" where the recipient was also given a 'sea name'. Ian
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Two very nice ones Ian, and that 2nd one so lovely 'formatted' as it were. And that Arctic Circle one would, I assume, be somewhat unique Stan? K

I agree Kev. That second one is something again! Even Latin. Thinking about the Arctic Circle one - these days there's a reasonable amount of sea tourism to the Antarctic. I presume these people are issued with some sort of certificate, not just for crossing the Circle but for going to the Continent. They'd be nice to see.

I crossed the line on board the now sunk [B][I]USS America CV-66[/I][/B] in August 1981 on our way to Perth AUS. I also crossed the Artic Circle on the [B][I]USS John F Kennedy CVA-67[/I][/B] Dduring a NATO excersise called "Strong Express" . However I have no clue where that certificate is.
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Here's two certificates of the three my grandfather had. * TSS City of Exeter - SIXTH day of SEPTEMBER 1940 * HMS Hawkins - 21st day of Feb 1924 (bound from Batavia to Singapore) The third one is from HMS Dragon - American & West Indes Station 1930-1932 The two copies I've posted are not brilliant but you can still get the idea! The one of HMS Dragon is not good enough to be posted although the wording (for all of them) is given on the website : [url]http://www.freewebs.com/albertflegg/initiationcertificates.htm[/url] Helen
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Talking of the Dragon, I came across this yesterday, is it the same Dragon? Bob.
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It is Bob. HMS Dragon was launched in 1917...

This is my certificate ,from the time i was on the "CHICHESTER"...i have four photos too of when it took place ,but this is not the correct thread to post um on i think. cylla p.s it appeared too large for my scanner,but got the inportant bit on.
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On doing a spot of tiding up ,i came across this pic ,of when i was on the "CHICHESTER"...there are a good few faces there....can you spot any one .??? cylla
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I've never seen a certificate but i do have some photographs somewhere of my dad in a crossing the equator ceremony aboard HMS Whirlwind in WW11 Nigel

Hi I have attached my Grandfathers crossing the line certificate from the Roberts in 1945. Kind regards Simon
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According to Victor Marsden in 1920, in earlier times certificates were regularly issued for crossing the arctic circle as well as for passing through the Straits of Gibraltar - propitiation of Neptune because the Romans feared the sea and the god! And a minister of religion on board was an insult to the god (so he got an extra ducking!) Keep it alive!!! Ednamay

Blue nose certificates for entering the Arctic Circle. Crossing the line ceremonies were obviously more elaborate in larger ships able to have a canvas pool made & more participants (lots of bears). One of the best was in Ark Royal, sometime in 61-63, forgot the exact date. There was a competion for the design of a Crossing the Line certificate, my design did'nt win but my wording was selected. The sad part is I hav'nt got a copy, lost during lifes journey.

Old Salt , yep it,s only now that you appreciate what you saved years ago , and now share with other,s ...my "crossing the line " certificate could have been binned years ago , except it was stored away with a load of old post cards i had sent home . cylla

This is mine off the Ark Royal, December 1965 on passage to Freemantle. Not sure if it is the same design from the previous commission, but Oldsalt may be able to advise. The original is too big for my scanner so I had to paste two halves together, hence the different shades along the centrefold
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I've posted this before .. my fathers certificate HMS Danae 1936 ... the colour isn't accurate ... photocopier made it yellow ..its actually a green base colour. (will try to get a more accurate pic>
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Beer Bosun, a very good Crossing the Line certificate, not similar to the one I was involved with, actually I think yours is better.

No certificate I'm afraid, but there is a photograph of the 'crossing the line' ceremony (circa 1942) aboard Hms Frobisher on the Frobisher thread (post #7).

Here's a copy of my Father's crossing the line certificate. As his name does not appear in the scroll at the bottom, I assume a batch of certificates were handed out all in one go and the receipients were expected to fill them in themselves. I have also attached a copy of a certificate given to him in his home town of Hebburn. This appears to be from an organisation that has set up a fund for local servicemen and women on their return to the town. I presume each person was given some form of financial assistance from 'the fund' to help them settle back into the community Does anybody know if these funds were common place and so set up in other towns? Who actually set them up? Was it the local council or a voluntary organisation perhaps? Any info would be welcome. Regards....John
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I have found my father's certificate for crossing the line, but it is bound into a commemorative book celebrating the Renown and the Prince of Wales with his entourage in 1920. Edna

Service in the Arctic Circle was indicated by a "Blue Nose" certificate, I had one but it has gone, as I remember there was no ceremony attached to it like crossing the line. On reflection any ceremony that required close contact with Arctic sea water would be Brrrrrrrr. ;);)

Here's my old dad's one.[ATTACH]79194[/ATTACH]
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At last, found my Certificate (in a safe place!!!) from 1967 whilst on HMS Gurkha. Jack.
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Jack............identical to mine from HMS CEYLON in 1958. I've found my Blue Nose certificate, will post it once scanned..........HMS CHICHESTER 1968.

I have about four Equator crossing certificates, plus one for the Arctic circle and one for the Antarctic Circle. Trouble is, finding them.....! will try. (All merchant navy) nari

[QUOTE=JackW1208;119375]At last, found my Certificate (in a safe place!!!) from 1967 whilst on HMS Gurkha. Jack.[/QUOTE] Jack, We crossed a few months later in TARTAR on 21 November 1967 and like you used the same standard Gale & Polden certificates with ship's crest added at the top. Not sure how you managed to upload your certificate in one, but have had to do mine in two.
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[QUOTE=INVINCIBLE;119506]Jack, We crossed a few months later in TARTAR on 21 November 1967 and like you used the same standard Gale & Polden certificates with ship's crest added at the top. Not sure how you managed to upload your certificate in one, but have had to do mine in two.[/QUOTE] Have even managed to find a few photographs of our crossing the line ceremony conducted at the Great Court of King Neptune on 21 November 1967.
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A few from Crossing the Line - AJAX 1966.
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Hello everyone, As my Avatar might suggest I don't have a clue about RN Traditions etc. I'm hoping that someone on here can answer a question that has been bugging me for years. Why are the "Bears" so called in the Crossing the the line ceremonies ?? Dave.

I have added this post to our main thread fror Crossing the Line. :)

Only crossed the line by sea the once - northbound - at the age of three. They didn't give me a certificate and anyway it was on a trooper so it probably wouldn't count, but I did win the fancy dress contest as Cupid.

Hi, And here is the Certificate belonging to my Late Uncle, John Rice, then Cook on HMS Suffolk. Regards, Hugh Williams
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Here's a fairly plain black and white certificate I received on our way up-top, in 1972 on HMAS Vampire. Could'nt fit the whole lot on the scanner.
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Here are two interesting "Crossing the Line" pictures I have meant to post for a while. They were taken aboard Dunedin during 1941.
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A recent example from the RN website involving HMS OCEAN: [URL="http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-events/rn-live/all-news/crossing-the-line/*/changeNav/6568"]Crossing the Line[/URL]

Ok to echo an earlier question............why are the Bears, called "Bears"? Personally I havn't the faintest idea, but interesting question............the answer to which is probably lost in the depths of tradition!

Hi. Scurs, Thanks for bringing up the question about the "Bears" again. I've been keeping an eye open for something coming up here, but so far "No luck". Getting back to Images of "Certificates" I've put one on here from a Steward on HMS Devonshire from 1940 called Joseph Micalleff. I'll also put up a photo of him. If any one recognizes him or maybe even ( unlikely now ) worked with him and would like to pass a message on to his daughters, please drop me a line and I will forward it to them. [url]http://www.navyphotos.co.uk/Joe%20Micalleff%2001b.jpg[/url] [url]http://www.navyphotos.co.uk/Joe%20Micalleff%2003b.jpg[/url]

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