Everyday life onboard the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is represented by a variety of personal items from shower sandals, boatswain's pipe, sea bag and identification tags to an engraved napkin ring, silver cigarette case, Distinguished Flying Cross medal awarded to Lt(jg) Almon Oliver and the Purple Heart medal awarded posthumously to William Skelton, killed in action in 1942.
Badge - Henry Wiley donated his “H Division / Recognition / Petty Officer” badge which he wore in his duties as “bug seeker and eliminator” on the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA. The H Division Petty Officer and the Master-at-Arms, along with crew serving extra duty for rules infractions, removed stowaway vermin from the fresh foodstuffs brought onboard. But there were perks to the job as “Sanitary Petty Officer.” “There wasn’t anyone aboard the ship, subject to sanitary inspection, that wasn’t willing to bake special stuffs, or set them aside for the inspector general, or prepare special cuts of meat or supply something that was from scarce to non-existent,” wrote Henry Wiley. BB2003.34
Boatswain’s Pipe - A boatswain’s pipe is a whistle that has been used for passing orders for centuries on ships. Different musical notes are made by positioning the hand in open, curved, closed or clinched position around the bowl and reed. The type and duration of call has different meanings. For example to assemble the crew the boatswain makes two short “peep peep” sounds while holding the pipe in a clinched position. Other calls include word to be passed, all hands, boat call, hoist away, haul, belay, heave around, sweepers, veer, and piping the side. This pipe belonged to Neil Pankow, Boatswain’s Mate 1/c on the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA. BB2004.100.4
Cigarette Case - Olaf Mandt Hustvedt (nicknamed “Husty”) graduated with distinction, eighth in his class, from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1909. In early 1941 he was assigned to the fitting out and commissioning of the USS NORTH CAROLINA, the first U.S. Navy battleship constructed in 21 years. Hustvedt served as her first captain for approximately eight months. A grand party in New York was held in his honor when he was promoted to flag rank in October 1941. This silver cigarette case, lined with wood, was made by Andrew Taylor, Newark, NJ. BB1991.70.120
Distinguished Flying Cross - This medal was presented to Lt. (jg) Almon P. Oliver "for heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight...during an air-sea rescue mission in connection with carrier-based air strikes against enemy Japanese forces on Northern Honshu and Hokkaido Islands, August 10, 1945." The medal was established in 1926 and the heroism must involve voluntary action in the face of danger and be above the actions of others in a similar operation. On August 10, 1945, Oliver and Lt. Ralph Jacobs were sent to rescue a downed pilot (Lt. jg Vernon Coumbre from the carrier Essex) spotted on a beach near Ominato military installation. Jacobs landed first in the rough surf but was unable to retrieve Coumbre on the beach and became stranded in the water himself. Oliver landed on the water, backed his plane into the surf with the main float touching the beach. Jacobs and Coumbre climbed into the single rear seat and Oliver took off. They arrived at the Battleship 2-1/2 hours later. Lt. Jacobs was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. BB1995.12.13
Purple Heart - This Purple Heart was awarded posthumously to William O. Skelton who was killed in action on September 15, 1942, when the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA was torpedoed by the Japanese. The Purple Heart is the oldest military decoration still awarded today. General George Washington created it as a Badge of Military Merit. His coat of arms is above his bust. The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the armed forces who are wounded as a result of enemy action, and is awarded posthumously to the next of kin of those killed in action or die of wounds received in action. BB1999.12.2
Napkin Ring - Officers dined in the Wardroom on the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA and sat according to both seniority and rank. Rank was engraved on each man’s napkin ring. The captain dined in his cabin and only ate in the wardroom when invited.
Sandals - Fresh water was scarce on the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA so showers were short. The routine was to wet down, shut off water, soap up, and rinse off. Wooden clogs helped prevent athlete’s foot. BB1996.9
Sea Bag - Navy recruits were issued a sea bag to stow their clothes and advised that “rolled clothes are placed in layers, each layer being at right angles to the one underneath.” During bag inspection each recruit took his clothes out of the sea bag and laid them on top in a specific order. They were also given a stencil for marking their clothes and other belongings and specific instructions on where each item was to be marked. This cotton canvas sea bag belonged to Battleship NORTH CAROLINA crew member Ralph Kostka. BB2004.125
Identification Tags - Identifying a wounded or dead soldier on the battlefield dates to the Civil War when soldiers pinned paper tags to their clothing. By 1913 oval metal identification tags were mandatory, although the U.S. Navy did not require them in the years following World War I. With the beginning of World War II the Navy reinstated the oval tag, perforated at each end. The face of tag has the individual’s name, service number (or rank if officer), blood type, “T” if vaccinated for tetanus with the date, and the service (USN, USNR, USMC, USMCR). A right index fingerprint was etched on the reverse.
As the war progressed a second tag was introduced that could be removed on death or capture. The fingerprint was no longer required and religious designation was added on the face: Catholic (C), Protestant (P) or Hebrew (H). On May 17, 1944, the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA’s Plan of the Day noted “Dog tags must be worn on liberty and will be checked for by the O.O.D. and at the main gate. Wear both tags on double suspension cord. Men with only one tag will be given a note of explanation until other is obtained, if necessary.” The type of tag also changed from an oval Monel metal to a chrome steel rectangular tag, which resisted corrosion better. There were rumors that the notch on the tag was designed so the tag could be placed in a deceased soldier’s teeth on the battlefield. In fact, the notch held the steel blank in place on the embossing machine. During the war the tags became known as “dog tags.” BB1991.31.19, BB2005.36.1, BB2003.8.1
