Posted by William R Hadley During January and early February, a number of new and unusual equipment was brought on board and installed in our Combat information Center. This compartment was huge by submarine standards and was just a little larger than that found on a Cruiser. One of these devices was a gravitational measuring device we called Monkey-in-Cage. Just forward of my maneuvering watch station on the aft capstan a special buoy antenna was housed in a special hump. The radio room had a couple special communication devices of the type planned for the FBM boats. It seemed as if twice a day for weeks on end prior to our departure the phrase ALL HANDS LAY TOPSIDE TO HANDLE STORES was conveyed over the 1MC. The cooks were instructed to load food for 120 days and at times I swear we had loaded enough for a year. Every compartment or passageway had at least one layer of canned goods in cases. Every little corner, opening and whatever capable of holding a can of food or spare part was found and filled. By the time we actually departed most of us developed a pain in our neck from bending over so much traveling through the passageways between compartments. The reactors was used to store I believe about 800 special oxygen candles to be used to create oxygen for the crew. We didnt have any of the oxygen generating equipment scheduled for the FBM boats. Once we got under way and the Captain announced our mission over the 1MC, then I understood why we loaded so much stuff on board. As we neared St Peter & Paul rocks just north of the equator, the shellbacks began holding secret meetings in the CIC to plan their little party for all us pollywogs. FTC Garlock as the senior shellback was to be King Neptune and also presided over these secret meetings. When Capt Beach tried to claim his right as a shellback, the committee demanded he present his shellback card. I understand that Capt Beach searched his cabin for some evidence or proof that he was in fact a shellback. Chief Garlock knew he was a shellback since it was he whom signed his shellback certificate and with the rest of the committee, enjoyed Capts discomfort of possibly being run through the ceremony again. I am told that one of the few times Capt Beach ever used a curse word was during his last meeting before the committee. The committee was giving him a real hard time until he remembered that he signed Garlocks certificate. The pollywogs in the meantime were doing their own plotting. We had one member with a fake shellback card attending these meetings and keeping us appraised of both the plans and where they hid their material for the ceremony. Every day or so suddenly on the 1MC we would hear HE HE HE, THE GRAY FOX HAS STRUCK AGAIN and some shellback had a joke played on him. For example, Capt Beachs stateroom round doorknob was covered with grease making it very difficult to open. There were a number of other pranks against them, but we eventually caught hell on the big day. William R Hadley CTC(SS) LT USN Ret
on 11/16/2002, 11:38 am
208.8.50.116
In December 1959, Captain Beach had a meeting that included, Ldcr Bulmer the Ops officer, Lt Brodie Comm Officer, XO, and myself. I was to order photographic supplies for 4x5 press camera, 8B Periscope, CRCZ, 35MM cameras, vaious 620 cameras and 16mm movie cameras. This list included flash bulbs, special high-speed B&W and Color film for the entire list above, chemicals to process black and white film and lots of photographic paper. I figured I spend over $25,000 for all this stuff and it filled my SUPRAD space to the overhead.
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