RETIREMENT CEREMONY HISTORY and TRADITIONS

Picture if you will, as a ship sails gracefully and silently into the harbor… The anchor is set…
The sails are furled…
The crew prepares the ship for a ceremony and shifts to dress uniforms.

At the appointed hour, the words are passed:

The time has come for another Sailor to retire.

In the early days of wooden sailing ships, the sideboys were used to raise and lower the platform that dignitaries and officers rode as they boarded or departed the ship. The number of sideboys used depended on the weight of the dignitary.

Today, we still use the sideboys to render a last salute of respect to the departing retiree.

Centuries ago, the boatswain’s call or whistle, which we refer today as the “boatswain's pipe” was used in the days of the galley slaves to keep the stroke of the oars. Even later, the Royal Navy adopted the calls as a means of passing orders to the crew above the roar of the wind and seas.

Boatswain’s would also pipe these calls in order to render honors to officers and visiting dignitaries…a tradition still followed in the U.S. Navy today.

When the ship was made ready and the crew assembled, the retiree was brought front and center, tales of voyages made, storms weathered, battles fought, friends known, ports visited, and liberties taken were remembered and retold a final time. Gifts of swords, pistols, or a sea chest to preserve the retiree’s uniforms were presented.

Finally, it was time to transfer the member ashore. The retiree would step to the platform, and as the sideboys lowered him to the waiting boat, the boatswain's blew a final call. Today, gone are the sails, the platforms, and the long boats. Seldom all hands are called on deck. Yet the boatswain’s and the sideboys remain.

The shadow box, which has become a traditional presentation throughout the U.S. Navy is born of early British Naval custom.

In the days of wooden decks and canvas sails, when Great Britain ruled the seas, it was considered bad luck for a retiring sailor, upon his final departure from his ship, to allow his shadow to hit the pier before he himself departed the ship.

Each item displayed reflects a significant facet of ATC Evan’s service to our country. Included in the box are rank insignias for each grade attained, warfare designations, medals, and campaign ribbons.”

This order has been passed on naval ships from the 1500’s through today. Spanish, French, English, Dutch…yes, all navies of the world use the boatswain, side boys and call to bring aboard or send ashore all ship’s company officers, visiting officers, dignitaries, and VIPs.

Tending the side with side boys, as we know it in modern practice, originated long time ago. It was customary in the days of sail to hold conferences on the flagships both when at sea and in open roadstead; also, officers were invited to dinner on other ships while at sea, weather permitting. Sometimes the sea was such that visitors were hoisted aboard in boatswain's chairs.

The side boys would haul on the ropes and raise or lower the boarding platform so officers would not have to climb the rat lines (which were hanging over the side and used by the enlisted crew) when going ashore or to get aboard.

Members of the crew did the hoisting, and it is from the aid they rendered in tending the side that the custom originated of having a certain number of men always in attendance. Some have reported the higher the rank, the heavier the individual; therefore, more side boys.

It was not uncommon for the commanding officer of a ship to order up the jolly boat, a crew of eight strong backs, side boys, and boatswain…to send an old shipmate to his shore retirement…home…never to sail on naval ships again.

“All hands on deck” was passed, speeches were made about great victories, battles fought upon the open sea, raging storms weathered, and voyages to distant and strange lands with ports-of-call others only dreamed about.