U-series. Crossing the Equator. Part 1 of 5

Part 1 of 5

Recordings made on board one of the troop ships taking the 3rd Echelon of the New Zealand Division overseas, the RMS "Empress of Japan."

Recordings are of the traditional naval ceremony held to mark crossing the Equator or "Crossing the Line". (This involves "Father Neptune" and his helpers shaving and dunking 'land-lubbers' who have never crossed the Equator before.)

Commentary in the recording is by the ship's boatswain, Bosun Wilson.
Those playing roles in the ceremony are named and are presumably members of the ship's crew:
Father Neptune: M.C.McLean, Service Engineer
Amphitrite (Neptune's wife): Mr Leitch, 2nd Electrician
Pirate King: Mr Bayford, Chief Electrician
The Lord High Chamberlain: S.P. Gaskill, Senior Engineer
The Royal Barber: R.K. Turnbull
The Captain of the Guard: J. Caldwell

The Guards:
Ozzie Jacobs, T. Chambers, C. Temple, Ed Sandle, Steven Scaben

The "Bears":
Seamen Wallace, Foster, Micklin, Ryan
Master Of Ceremonies: J. Moyer, Purser

All new land-lubbers who have never been across the line are going to be
invited by Father Neptune into his Kingdom.

This item is part of a collection of recordings made by the Mobile Broadcasting Units, which travelled overseas with New Zealand forces between 1940-1945. They recorded New Zealanders' experiences of war and messages to their families and friends, which were sent back home to be played on a weekly radio programme.