King Neptune's Kangaroo Court Aboard USS Triton - At Sea

At Sea: USS Triton - CG, 1944. Very Good. At Sea: USS Triton - CG, 11 April, 1944. First Edition. Quarto (26.5cm); top-edge stapled self-wrappers; [15]ll. printed mimeograph from typescript on rectos only; pictorial title page. Stock uniformly brittle and toned with a few closed tears to upper cover, contemporary ownership signature to upper cover (Mr. Pitkat), else Very Good and sound.

Uncommon example of a full transcript of a popular line-crossing ceremony in the United States Coast Guard. The event marks a person's first crossing of the equator with a kangaroo court presided over by his "Royal Majesty Rex Neptune." In this case the individual in question is Frederick H. Collins, Jr., Ensign, U.S. Coast Guard, aboard the USCGC Triton, which was involved in antisubmarine warfare throughout World War II.

The text opens with members of the court, including the judge ("boy is he crooked"); the prosecuting attorney ("a shrewd shyster"); and a firing squad ("all blind"). Collins, described as a "Southern Colonel," was found guilty for, among other things, "Drinking Southern Comfort in the Northern State of New York with tendency to promote another Civil War"; "Firing numerous rounds of 38 cal. when knowingly couldn't hit a bull in the rectum with a bat"; and "Eating Black-Eyed Peas from general mess without paying for them. Eating Poagy-Bait and drinking orange juice on watch - The Scoundrel. Smoking 20 cent Cigars on the cuff." Collins was duly tried and sentenced to death by (blind) firing squad.

No examples separately catalogued in OCLC as of March, 2026.