Say whut???
On June 11, 1942, disease, and perhaps an increasing desire not to use one’s own hand to wipe one’s nether regions, drove Lt. Cmdr. James Coe of the submarine Skipjack to send an “urgent” message to the powers that be.
Since July 1, 1941, a requisition had been submitted for 150 rolls of toilet paper to replenish the dwindling supply aboard the Skipjack. However, as the boat patrolled the Pacific, no sign of the all-important bathroom item appeared — even as other war materiel came in.
In March 1942, according to the National WWII Museum, Coe took command of the Skipjack and learned of the dire, and no doubt malodorous, situation. To make matters worse, Coe received a canceled invoice for the TP alongside a stamped July 1941 message stating “cancelled-cannot identify.”
Full article, HERE from Military Times.
Actually, this doesn’t really surprise me…
The military is REALLY stupid sometimes, as anyone who has served knows. That is why every squadron I was in had at least one ‘good’ scrounger…
A good scrounger could come up with those supposedly unobtainable items. You just didn’t ask ‘where’ they came from, especially if you were an officer…
In talking to WWII vets, it was apparent there was a LOT of ‘trading’ equipment, either voluntarily or otherwise, among squadrons, ships, and submarines. When a unit got ready to deploy, the scroungers got a little list… And as long as the unit got out of town before the SPs came calling, it was all good.
I’m betting the Skipjack’s crew were pretty good scroungers, and knowing Pearl Harbor, I’m betting the clubs and officers quarters ‘mysteriously’ ended up short of toilet paper every month… 🙂
What do you Vets say???
I learned very early on how to make a good trade in the Navy. It served me well throughout my career. Got an annoying roommate who’s a petty thief? A bottle of whiskey and a talk with the barracks chief would get the miscreant moved to a new room. Need furniture for your barracks room? Get to know the chief or first class in charge of storage for base housing. Just about anything could be traded for if you knew the right person. And when I was the messdeck master at arms, I could get just about anything on the ship for a 20 lb can of coffee.
One issue you can have with supply is not have too little, but too much. I served in a bomb wing which was part of SAC (Strategic Air Command). Also on out base was a fighter squadron that belonged to TAC (tactical air command). Both groups had an excess of certain parts that would be difficult to explain during inspections. SAC and TAC had different inspectors. They could not inspect outside of their commands. We had a large storage cabinet we divided in two. We used one side to store our excess and TAC used the other. On the front was a two sided sign. One side said SAC with our unit and the other side said TAC with their unit. When the SAC inspectors were on base the sign was turned to the TAC side. When their inspectors were on base, it was turned to the SAC side.
USAREUR Circa 1960’s we usually had what we needed. A persistent “rumor” was the Russians somehow got into the system and would mess with it. One of those, “No shit, I heard……..”
Operation Petticoat: https://youtu.be/wcYUWrkrGrI?si=p3FVyx9gQLbXhPfE
Oh my yes. The most valuable man around was the good scrounger… usually a Gunny or Supply Sergeant.
As a charter member of the E-4 Mafia and knowing that the statute of limitations expired long ago, perfecting the cumshaw art of finding loose material was unofficially endorsed. First thing is to find a decent dungaree shirt with the name of shipmate who got out. Must have the E-4 crow as people leave you alone and figure you’re working. So, having a change of command and “Boats” needs a punt so he can get that haze gray on? Take a clipboard with you and walk down the pier and you’ll find your target. Wait for liberty call and you can paddle the punt back to your ship and tie it up near the quarterdeck and you get the ships number painted on the sides. Mission accomplished!
First assignment after tech training, 1963. Shop chief said see so and so down at Supply and get 3 sheets of plywood. Done. Next week, more plywood. Couple of months later, go see . . . Nope. No can do. The era of the computer at Supply had fully arrived. Could still deal with each other, but from Supply? No way. Many said Supply’s job was to NOT issue anything and keep a full warehouse. Barter and reappropriation flourished.
Had a Supply Sgt in one of my Mobile Radar Flights who posted a sign over hi office “The Yes I do, NO you can’t have it Dept.” He was also the Flight scrounger who could make sure all and sundry “Must Have” and “Nice-to-have” items were stocked up.
USAREUR Circa 1975, suburb of Nürnberg. My unit was the 156th Maintenance Co. My MOS was Small Arms Repair. One fine day the order was that the the company would clean our own weapons, individual and crew served. Seems the lads over in the generator shop were assigned to one of our M-60 MG’s, and it had been awhile since any of them had had their hands on one.
Our phone rings. Might a couple of folks in the Small Arms shop be so kind as to come over and “assist”? Buddy and I look at each other. Evil grins (yeah, E4 Mafia). “Sure. Be right over”. We gather up a few tools we might “need” and slip them in our pockets.
We arrive at the generator shop and tell them, “We got this. Why don’t you guys take a break”. Off they head for the snack bar. Meanwhile, we don’t just field strip the MG, we COMPLETELY disassemble it, leave the pile of parts on the table, then leave.
Our phone rings. Insert your favorite version of #@%#&!!!! here. Wait for them to take a breath, then politely suggest they write down our order for the snack bar, re-assembly of the CLEAN MG parts pending.
Dry-dock, Portsmouth VA., circa 1970. A CVA ship, 1st Class announced we were short 23 lengths of air hose and 14 various air tools so ‘go out and find them’…so we did! [The Yard-birds weren’t happy.]
LOL, why am I NOT surprised a few folks on here ‘might’ have known how to ‘make things happen’… We always did love going to an Air Force base if we had problems with start control valves, especially when they parked us next to a C-130. The inboard engines were ‘fair game’… And yes, we always safety wired our bad ones back in…LOL
So THAT’s what happened!!! Har!
As an E-4, my Warrant Officer asked to borrow my foul weather jacket to go topside. “But, sir, it won’t fit you” did not faze him. Later, I asked for my jacket, but he claimed to have returned it. Uh-huh. I heard he got a fresh coat of paint for his office, somehow. I think he didn’t like me.
no prescription pharmacy: postmailmed.com – online drugs no prescription
Speaking of TP, during the longshoremen’s strikes in California when I was stationed in Hawaii (Paradise with a LARGE fence around it), we had TP sent over by fellow aircraft maintenance types, all hidden behind the aircraft pressure packing in the cargo bay walls. All traversing the Pacific came through us,, so we were lucky.
My east coast LPO tried once to use an old WW2 method of trade with the local shipyard workers in Pearl Harbor “COFFEE” . I knew it wasn’t going to work , maybe in Norfolk , not Hawaii , but he was a new arrival , and I had been granted the “Kamaaina” status by the locals and knew the deal . I went along to watch this dipshit (did I mention I hated this sorry ass BM1 ?) try to work a trade with the big ol Navy square tin of coffee for some turnbuckles . He walks into the shop and presents the coffee like it was gold and said he needed the turnbuckles , the workers , mostly Samoan at this shop, were feasting at a big ol table with quite a spread of food and half ass answered “no” through a mouthful of Kalbi ribs and potato-mac salad , and said “come back with Budweiser…on ice “. I knew that was coming . Coffee , idiot , hated that fucker.
Bosun:
Don’t hold back, tell us how you really felt. 🙂
Entertainment is where you find it; it’s a bonusif it’s at the expense of somebody you dislike.
Coffee as a cumshaw item would be coals to Newcastle in Hawaii, I would think.
Well, I had to look up coal to Newcastle , kinda like ice to eskimos , and yeah that was pretty much the deal . I don’t derive pleasure or actively pursue watching somebody fail , but this guy was a bull in his own china shop , and his leadership style was a morale killer , we as the other leading PO’s , out of a division of 35 , had to rebuild the morale and pick up the pieces . The job was hard enough, inport or at sea , our Chief was Andy Griffith from NC , and the divo was a blue blood legacy academy fuck , that graduated from Punahou in Honolulu . In fact , my recount of telling this story , and my amusement in no way discounts this guys ability to fuck himself over with no assistance . Are you a Limey?
Bosun:
You have my sympathy about the crappy leadership and my admiration for your ability to restore morale. I was lucky and pretty much had decent bosses. Also, not a Limey: USN 1973-1981.
Well Thank You for your service on this Independence Day. Just Sea Stories, we all got’em …..your rate ??? Makes a big difference in your interpretation of this story . A push button E4 has no idea.
“Push button E4” heh. I was a DS1 when I got out so, yeah, I was a push button E-6 and wasn’t very salty with just one WestPac on the Constellation CV-64.
1st Cav,1979 our supply system under Carter was so depleted we had to purchase TP at the PX for the barracks. That lasted for four or five months. Our Mess Sergeant ended up in Leavenworth for theft from the mess hall. After he was gone we got a fantastic guy that fed troops in garrison amd in the field like he loved us. SFC Glover, you were a Godsend.
Funny you should mention. 1/2 ACR was one of the units we supported. Our base company was at Pinder Barracks (see above). Our mess hall was combined with two artillery battalions also on base. IIRC, somebody there got busted for theft as well. Yeah, I remember the Peanut Farmer too.
As detachment 1SG, I used to have the supply SGT create a “shopping list” of shortfalls that was provided to the units recon teams. The guidance was don’t get caught and if you did I would convince the offended unit I was very upset and to let me handle punishment internalky.