Navy Customs and Traditions – Part 2 – “Show a Leg”

Navy Customs and Traditions – Part 2 – “SHOW A LEG” 

Continued from: 

Navy Customs and Traditions – Part 1 – “IMPRESSMENT” – “PRESS GANG” – “SHANGHAI” (url: http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2018/11/navy-customs-and-traditions-part-1.html )

“SHOW A LEG” 

The “Old Navy” – Customs and Traditions – Part 2

By

VIKRAM KARVE

WAKE UP CALL 

If you were a sailor on a sailing ship in the British Royal Navy around 300 years ago in the 1700’s (and later – in the 1800’s) – early in the morning – you would be woken up from your sleep by the sound of the shrill Bosun’s Pipe followed by the Navy “Wake Up Call”:

“Heave Out – Heave Out – Heave Out – Away…!!!

Come On – All You Sleepers – Hey…!!!

Show a Leg and Put a Stocking on it…”

You would in deep sleep in your hammock covered from head to toe under a blanket.

On hearing the “Wake Up Call” – you would have to stick your leg out from under the blanket for the Bosun’s Mate to see.

If the leg you showed was hairless, smooth, soft and fleshy – revealing that you were a woman – the Bosun’s Mate would leave you alone and let you sleep.

But – if the leg you showed was hairy and muscular with tattoos – indicating that you were a man – then – you would be given a hard “shake up” – and – you would be asked to “shake a leg” – “put a stocking on it” (wear your working dress uniform) – and hurry up to join the morning work routine of the ship.

WOMEN ON SHIPS

Yes – those days – in the 1700’s and 1800’s – women were allowed on ships.

No – women did not serve as crew on ships.

But – women were carried on board ships as “passengers”.

And since – on warships – there was no separate accommodation for women – women would be accommodated in Officers’ Wardrooms or Sailors’ Messes – depending on their “status”.

Those days – ships were the only medium of transportation from Britain to distant colonies of the British Empire – so – many women took passage on sailing ships (passenger steamships came much later).

Most of these women “passengers” on sailing ships were wives/daughters of British Civil/Military Officials and Traders who had settled down in distant British colonies – and – also “Fishing Fleet” Girls who were travelling to India and other Colonies to find a suitable husband from the British Colonial Civil/Military Officers serving there.

(There is a fascinating “journal” written by Eliza Bunt, widow of British Boatswain (Bosun) John Bunt of Trincomalee Naval Dockyard (Ceylon – now Sri Lanka), describing her sea journey from the Port of Trincomalee (Ceylon) to Spithead, the Naval Anchorage of Portsmouth Harbour (England), on Royal Navy Ship HMS Trincomalee – the journey home took more than 6 months (from October 27, 1818 to April 3, 1819) via the Cape of Good Hope with 4 stops enroute at Port Louis, Simons Bay, St Helena and Azores for replenishing stores and embarking/disembarking people)

Women were permitted on ships for other reasons too.

During the days of Impressment or Press Gangs – when men were taken forcibly from the streets and “pressed” into service – shore leave was impossible – lest the men desert ship and run away.

So – as recompense – women were sometimes allowed to visit – and – it is said that – at Spithead – the Naval Anchorage off Portsmouth – as many as 500 women might be entertained aboard one ship.

Naturally – after the night-long “orgy” – in the mornings – when work was begun – there existed some confusion as to who was sleeping in which bunks – and – the Petty Officers’ way of sorting this out was to shout: “Show a Leg”

Those with soft and curvy legs (women) could stay where they were – but – those with hairy legs (men) were kicked out of bed and told to get on with work…!!!

(Of course – the lucky “metrosexual” men with soft smooth legs could manage an extra wink of sleep…!)

Also – before 1840 – when the rules were fairly lax – sailors were sometimes permitted to take their wife/girlfriend along with them during sailing on the high seas.

While the sailors were expected to report for duty early in the morning – the wives/girlfriends were allowed to sleep on in their hammocks in the quarters down below.

In order to ensure that a lazy sailor was not sleeping downstairs – an Officer, Midshipman or Petty Officer went down below decks to check the sailors’ mess quarters.  

Whenever the Officer came across someone sleeping – and he wasn’t really sure if it was a man or a woman under the covers – he used to shout “show a leg”.

The person under the blanket had to stick his/her leg out.

If the leg that emerged looked like that of a woman’s – she was allowed to sleep.

But – if the leg looked like that of a man’s – the Officer would shout “shake a leg” – meaning – the man was asked to get out of bed and report for duty.

So originally – when someone asked you to show a leg – all you had to do was to show him your leg.

Around 1840 – regulations in the Navy were changed – and – women were no longer permitted to accompany men on sailing ships.

But – the expressions “show a leg” and “shake a leg” continued to be used – and – as time went on – these naval idioms became a part of everyday navy jargon as well.

SHOW A LEG

Now – the Indian Navy is contemplating having Women Sailors on board ships.

Will the Women Sailors be given a “Gender Privilege” of sleeping a bit extra in the mornings by “showing their legs” – or – like their male counterparts – will they be asked to “shake a leg” and get going to work…? 

VIKRAM KARVE

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