The Oswego Navy

[Oswego John]

Here is an old picture that I found in one of my shoe box archives. It was probably taken aroung the late 1920s or early 30s. There is nobody left around to ask so I have to guestimate the era.

Anyone know what a "black gang" is?

O J

[Cathy Monaghan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_gang

[Oswego John]

I was searching for something in the archives this evening when I stumbled across this.

Anyone know what a "black gang" is?

I guess that I wasn't very explicit. My bad.

What I was referring to was workers in the olden days of steam propelled ships. Not specifically designated as USN seamen, but also for sailors on ocean liners, tramp freighters and any vessel that had steam boilers.

The black gang was comprised of sailors who worked below decks in the boiler room. They could be engineers, oilers and others who kept the steam supply adequate, but for the most part they were the stokers who kept the fires going with an adequate supply of coal. Coal dust creates black faces.

I used to love to listen to one of my uncles who was in the black gang on a four stacker USN destroyer. Of course, he had the traditional Anchor and USN letters tattooed on his arm. He was really something else. Oh, the stories he told.

O J.