1940 U.S. Navy Bluejacket's Manual

[Faulkner]

The thread on the USS Arizona liberty pass reminded me I have my great uncle's 1940 Bluejacket's Manual. He was a navy corpsman who trained in Australia and served aboard an LST during the invasion of the Philippines, specifically Luzon. He gave it to me in the early '80's when I was a teenager.

It has some great pictures and specifications of pre-WWII ships of the United States Navy, chapters on how to drill with a M1903 rifle, and diagrams on how to tie all those navy knots.

I wonder what it's worth if I was inclined to pawn it off to a collector of such things?

Picture and specifications of the U.S.S. Lexington

 

[PRC74]

I would say priceless.

 

[Bob R]

Monetary value.... not very much.

Family heirloom...as was said by PRC74, priceless.

bob

 

[jeffsmith]

I used to frequent old bookstores and buy anything I found
that could go on a WWII era Bookshelf

So, I just went and checked my "Valuable Book Shelf"
and I also have a 1940 Bluejackets Manual

with the name Stanley John Lukis

I just did a search on his name
and he was from Norwood MA

He passed at the age of 87 in Oct 2007

 

[monet61]

I have mine from 1969. You are so lucky to have your great uncles' manual. I know I wouldn't give mine up for anything.

 

[ditrina]

I have mine from 1969. You are so lucky to have your great uncles' manual. I know I wouldn't give mine up for anything.

Got mine from 1966.. it ain't goin' nowheres..

 

[charlie sherrill]

Got mine from 1967. It ain't going anywhere.

 

[ditrina]

The thread on the USS Arizona liberty pass reminded me I have my great uncle's 1940 Bluejacket's Manual. He was a navy corpsman who trained in Australia and served aboard an LST during the invasion of the Philippines, specifically Luzon. He gave it to me in the early '80's when I was a teenager.

It has some great pictures and specifications of pre-WWII ships of the United States Navy, chapters on how to drill with a M1903 rifle, and diagrams on how to tie all those navy knots.

I wonder what it's worth if I was inclined to pawn it off to a collector of such things?

Picture and specifications of the U.S.S. Lexington

The U.S.S. Lexington.. In 1967 was proud to serve a tour on that ( CV-16 ) historic ship.. Once in Pensacola she was used a a training ship for new Naval Aviators.. first attempt at Carrier work.. We flew plane guard.. just in case

In 1962, she sailed into Pensacola, Florida, and began training operations, eventually being officially designated CVT-16, Navy Training Carrier.

The USS LEXINGTON CV-16 was decommissioned on November 26, 1991. Corpus Christi is privileged to be selected as the permanent home to this national treasure.

 

[jeffsmith]

ditrina,

As you probably already know the Lexington pictured there is the Lexington CV-2
Originally designed as a cruiser she was built in the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy MA
(where my Grandfather worked)
and lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942

 

[Bob R]

In a 1940 Bluejacket's Manual the USS Lexington pictured would have most likely been the USS Lexington (CV-2).

USS Lexington (CV-2) was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942.

Five days after it was released to the public (June 1942) that she (CV-2) was sunk at The Battle of the Coral Sea the workers at the Quincy shipyard cabled the Secretary of the Navy (Frank Knox) to petition a name change of a carrier presently under construction. At that time the Cabot was renamed the USS Lexington (CV-16) and she was launched in Sept of 1942 and commissioned in May of 1943. CV-16 was the fifth Naval ship to carry the name Lexington.

bob

 

[Faulkner]

The Lexington CV2 was a large and fast ship for it's day. Interestingly, Lexington's engines provided electricity to Tacoma, Washington for thirty days during a power shortage in the winter of 1929/1930.

 

[mg357]

priceless priceless priceless

 

[ditrina]

ditrina,

As you probably already know the Lexington pictured there is the Lexington CV-2
Originally designed as a cruiser she was built in the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy MA
(where my Grandfather worked)
and lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942

Thank you sir.. yes I did know.. fingers went faster than brain.. I re edited the post to show CV-16.. Thanks..

 

[semperfi71]

There is a ton of Bluejacket's manuals out there. Because there was a ton of Bluejackets from 1940 to 1945............

Not worth a lot but as a family heirloom....priceless.

I have several Bluejacket Manuals from the time period and may have a 1940 as well.

There are a great source of a lot of info such as knot tying. Also an indication of how much a shipboard sailor was required to know just to be a lowly Seaman.

 

[Faulkner]

There is a ton of Bluejacket's manuals out there. Because there was a ton of Bluejackets from 1940 to 1945............

Not worth a lot but as a family heirloom....priceless.

I have several Bluejacket Manuals from the time period and may have a 1940 as well.

There are a great source of a lot of info such as knot tying. Also an indication of how much a shipboard sailor was required to know just to be a lowly Seaman.

You are right! I got on eBay and did some looking around and there are a ton of bluejacket manuals out there. Cheap too. Must be a lot of folks selling the keepsakes that WWII veteran sailers kept all these years. There were a lot of 1940 editions available.

I have a 1943 edition, a 1944 edition, and a 1946 edition on the way off of eBay auctions, all for less than 50 bucks for all three and all in great condition.

 

[Muley Gil]

I have my pappy's 1943 Bluejacket's manual. He enlisted in 1942. I was also a teenager, planning on going into either the Navy or the Marine Corps at the time, when he gave it to me.

Pappy turned 86 this past May. He gave me a target .45 auto and a Colt Service Ace that month. Both he and the manual are priceless.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I have mine from 1969. You are so lucky to have your great uncles' manual. I know I wouldn't give mine up for anything.

I have my Dad's Bluejacket Manual. He was in a most unusual position: He was a civilian submariner!

From 1947 to 1983, Dad was a Chemical Engineer for the US Navy, and worked for what is now called the David Taylor Naval Ship R&D Center. (When he began his career, it was just called the Marine Engineering Laboratory.) In the '50s and early '60s, he was one of the engineers who designed, installed, and tested the CO2 air scrubbers on nuclear submarines, and his work required him to sail on many of those early nuclear subs during sea trials and shakedown cruises. I have the many mementoes and souvenirs he accumulated, including a photo of the USS Nautilus that is inscribed to him and signed by her Captain.

In the first week of April, 1963, Dad's travel orders were changed, and an engineer from Sperry Gyroscope took his place on the USS Thresher. Until the day he died, Dad kept a large framed photo of the Thresher on a wall in his home. I have it now, and every April 10 I raise a glass and toast those brave men.

Bluejacket Manuals are fairly common, and can be bought cheaply online or in old bookstores. The one I have is literally priceless; there is no sum of money that would make me part with it.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I have my pappy's 1943 Bluejacket's manual. He enlisted in 1942. I was also a teenager, planning on going into either the Navy or the Marine Corps at the time, when he gave it to me.

Pappy turned 86 this past May. He gave me a target .45 auto and a Colt Service Ace that month. Both he and the manual are priceless.

My Dad would have been 87 this past May, but he passed away in 2007. I am pleased to hear your Pappy is still with you; I would give anything to be able to have just one more conversation with my Dad.

 

[Darkenfast]

I too, have a 1940 Bluejackets' Manual. I compared it to editions from the 1990's, and it looks like the Navy considers sailors to have fallen a long way in their reading comprehension. There seem to be a lot more information crammed into the old ones, and a lot more thought required to master the material than in the later ones, including what I remember from my Recruit Training in 1974.

 

[MFPD 10MM]

I have my Dad's Bluejackets' manual from the 40's also. My son will own it when I pass away. Priceless. Thanks for the great pictures.