Sept 27, 1944 - Passed equator again. Aussies on board that hadn't gone across the equator before were initiated by their buddies that had. They were all good sports about the initiation. They seem to all be swell guys. They are not much different from the Americans. Another ship in our convoy has our mail. They got it at Hollandia. I guess we will get it when we reach Morotai but I don't know when we will get to mail any letters. Some more LSTs joined us today making 12 in all.

Picture of the pollywogs from the LST 740 right after the Line Crossing ceremony

July 5, 1944 - Crossed equator. Us pollywogs (the one’s that had not been across the equator before) got initiated into the order of the shellbacks by King Neptune and Davey Jones and his band. We flew the Jolly Roger all the time we were being initiated. First we had to strip to our shorts and then they sprayed us with sea water and we went and knelt down before King Neptune and they blindfolded us and gave us so many licks with a paddle and then they took us in another partition and gave us castor oil and painted us every color you could think of and cut our hair every which a way. We were sure funny looking sights. We had a lot of fun though after getting initiated watching others get it.

LST 740 pollywogs getting haircuts and being hosed down!

A sample picture of a typical Line Crossing ceremony with King Neptune, Davey Jones, and his crew. (not from the LST740)