17 Jan 20 Garand Picture of the Day

[Flying10uk]

Navy men on the left thinking: How come we get life belts and the Army guys (far right) get life vests?

Perhaps US sailors had to be able to swim, to join the navy, and the US army didn't?

I once knew a chap, no longer with us, who joined the Royal Navy just after WW2 and one of the requirements for joining was that he had to be able to swim in order to join the navy. He told me about an incident/accident that happened when he was working with another sailor who had joined the Royal Navy during WW2. Apparently the rule about being able to swim to join the Royal Navy wasn't always enforced or was relaxed during WW2 as the sailor he was working with couldn't swim. The 2 sailors were doing some sort of work on the hulls of ships that had been mothballed and something went wrong and the small boat that they were working from sank, leaving both sailors in the water. Sadly the sailor who joined the Royal Navy during WW2 drowned because he couldn't swim, but had survived WW2, and the sailor who joined after WW2 lived because he could only join the navy if he could swim.

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[browningautorifle]

Perhaps US sailors had to be able to swim,

Not so...we had basic drown proofing as part of our training when I went through and a man had to be able to manage two lengths of the pool after that. But actual swimming, no. Also you speak of testimony reference WW2 guys not having to swim...this is a WW2 pic.