I Found Something Also........ But What Is It ?

My 86 year old Father In Law has been admitted to a nursing home. He's a WWII Army vet who served in the PTO and in occupied Japan, post surrender.
I was visiting and helping clear out some items in the basement of the home they've lived in since 1954. They had bought this home from a WWII and Korean war veteran who was retiring out West with his family.

I have no idea if this means anything or is related to a War item.
But can anyone tell me what I've found?
It was hidden above the heat runs, way back in the corner. None of my In Laws had ever seen it.
Weighs exactly 1lb is 15" long with a rawhide rope wrapped tightly around a rock. It still has some black paint, polish or die on it.
Looks to me like a club some ole Thug would swing and knock your lights out with.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Charlie-painter777
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It looks like a sap, for sneaking up on a sentry and doing just what you said. Looks like it's a monkey's fist tied around a rock and there you go. That sort of thing was far more popular with the first war guys. Possibly has nothing to do with the war and maybe just a thug toy from years gone by.

I think you have found David's slingshot that killed the Giant Goliath.

American Indian?

If so, I have no idea why it would be hidden, but that's just a possibility.....
It looks too well done to have been a hoodlum tool.

Ok, this is gonna take a Navy guy to answer...

That is called a Monkey's Fist. It is a knot tied around a weight. It is then tied to the end of a line (thats rope for you Army guys). The weight allows you to throw the line longer distances, like between ships. Boatswain's Mates (enlisted guys who work the deck of a ship) take great pride in their Marlinspikemanship (yep, one word). If the old guy who originally owned the house was in the Navy or Coast Guard, it is probably something he tied and used in his daily life onboard ship. It would be good personal keep sake from the war and something that would get by a seabag inspection prior to discharge.

As a side note, that Navy prohibited the use of rocks and weights in making of monkey fists about 30 or 40 years ago - but real sailors still use them. Wiki has a good explanation of them.

Another side note - they work REALLY good in a bar fight!

Charlie, sorry to here about your father in law. Mine past away this past winter, he also served in the occupation force in Japan. We are losing these vets way to fast.....Frank

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tired Retired

Ok, this is gonna take a Navy guy to answer...

That is called a Monkey's Fist. It is a knot tied around a weight. It is then tied to the end of a line (thats rope for you Army guys). The weight allows you to throw the line longer distances, like between ships. Boatswain's Mates (enlisted guys who work the deck of a ship) take great pride in their Marlinspikemanship (yep, one word). If the old guy who originally owned the house was in the Navy or Coast Guard, it is probably something he tied and used in his daily life onboard ship.

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Tired Retired,

You told them what "Line" was. Now how many do you think know what you are calling a "Marlinspike". Being red stripes I never had to use one. :D

What about "Dognapping", maybe "Shellback" or "Bluenose Sailors"? :dunno:

I'm sure all the branches have their pet words. My wife still laughs at me when I tell her I am going to block in the water.

Jim

Yep, monkey’s fist, used as described. That looks like a small one. And speaking of Shellbacks, I have my Grandfathers Shellback card form the U.S.S. Langley CV-1


Not sure wil the form want's to automaticly put a link in when it sees U S S ?

Yoos guys is amazing!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimF4M1s

Now how many do you think know what you are calling a "Marlinspike". Being red stripes I never had to use one. :D

What about "Dognapping", maybe "Shellback" or "Bluenose Sailors"?

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Jim, don't stress them out. You gave them more info than any landlubber can process between starshoots. As far as Pollywogs trying to become Shellbacks, some of these guys would never survive to kiss the baby. Holy Neptune! They would even confuse "Repeal Boarders" with "Away All Boats" and "Liberty Call!!".

Oh, and what do carbines have to do with all this?? Just ask the Marines, the Seabees and the Naval Landing Forces who used them - PLUS all spoke this language!

Ok, now its time to call "tattoo, tattoo..."

P.S. Jim, I started out as a Monkey's mate - back when I had hair.

I see you guys were Black Shoes! This was the real NAVY - Aviation, my squadron VP-5 MAD FOXES
Attachment 15073Attachment 15075Attachment 15074

Oh, Goodie!! Someone brought some TARGETS!!!


Do they still have the ATM machines in the back of those things so you can draw your per diem before you head over to the club?

Now up pops the Green Stripes. They were good for bringing in the mail. There was a helo deck on the back of the LPD's we were on.

TR,
I didn't like being nailed into the coffin, but it was worth being a Shellback. Plus then continuing down to Austrailia. That made the crossing a lot more fun. We were only a 17 man assault boat unit carried by the ships to our drop off point. Kind of got a hard time from ships personel because we never stood duty, watches, or inspections. But we had to be able to make a run within 10 minutes of notice. By the way, I have a friend who is a Bluenose, rarer then being a Shellback.

Rustship,
We wore jungle boots. Black shoes were stateside only for my unit.

So to relate this to the forum, Carbines were issued to our boat group my first tour in 1967/68 plus we had .50 cals.

Hi. just a thought . It might be used to tie a line to give it more weight on a boat,so u can throw it. Dont really know,just guessing. donb in fl.

There is another use for a “monkey’s fist – taking soundings. When I served on cruisers during WWII, every ship had a station called the “chains”. This was a small platform on each side of the prow that hung over the water and was surrounded by a chain. When entering or leaving port, an experienced sailor from the deck force served in the “chains” and took soundings by heaving the “lead” or “monkey’s fist. The “monkey’s fist” was affixed to a ‘heaving line’ that had marks showing the distance from the “Monkey’s fist “to the mark. At the one fathom point there was no mark, at the two fathom mark there was a “mark” consisting of two leather strips, at the five fathom mark there was a red rag, at the 10 fathom position there was a piece of leather with a hole in it , etc. The sailor would wind up, heave the “lead” and rapidly reel it in until it was vertical at which time he would note where the water level struck the heaving line. If the water level fell at the 5 fathom mark ((a white rag) he would call “By the Mark Fiver”. If the water level fell where there was no mark (such as six fathoms) he would estimate and call “By the deep six”. We always had men in the “chains” even though we had a fathometer. A good “chain” man was worth his weight in cold. For non-nautically inclined, a fathom is six feet.