Fleetboat Washing Machines

[kylesplanet]

I have read about washing machines in the Fleetboats but have never seen one. Does anyone have a picture of one?

I have no idea why this interest me but it does.:88)

[M. Sarsfield]

I've never seen one and I've been on them a number of times. The fresh water was mainly used for cooking and watering the batteries. Despite having showers on board, they were a rarity for the crew. Same goes for clean clothes.

[shoot-kill-win]

I have seen a picture of the washing machines, however I do not have it. The picture was in a TIME LIFE book called "WAR UNDER THE PACIFIC". In the picture it showed the washing machine right next to the crew bathooms, where it was hooked up to a line from the freshwater tank. The par manager at the Batfish told me it was stored in a closet by the showers of the crews bathroom. From what I read they would only wash their clothes before returning to port.

[Gino]

Check this link: http://www.usscod.org/crew.html
On the picture you see one of our crew members, and to the right the GE washing machine.

groetjes,

[kylesplanet]

@ M Sarsfield
I kinda figured that. I had read alot about the water for batteries so I kinda figured the washing machines didn't get used alot.

@Gino
Thank You a Bunch!!:up: :up:
My biggest question with them was if they had wringers (which they did). That would take a LONG time to wash very many clothes. I know that from experience, my grandmother used one of those right into the ninetys and I helped her on it off and on for twenty years or more.

[-Pv-]

I remember my grandmother's had-cranked wringer and my mom's motraized wringer. I helped her with it sometimes. We also had the 1st model of dish washer ever made with hoses plugged into the kitchen sink.

It also wasn't unusual to wash clothes in the sea during the war. My family used to do the same thing. Dump the cloathes in a net with soap sprinkled in the middle of the pile and drag the net behind the boat for an hour. Worked really good.
-Pv-

[M. Sarsfield]

The park manager at the Batfish told me it was stored in a closet by the showers of the crews bathroom.

Ah... I know which closet you refer to. They have it locked, but I was curious as to what was stored in there.

[kylesplanet]

I remember my grandmother's had-cranked wringer and my mom's motraized wringer. I helped her with it sometimes. We also had the 1st model of dish washer ever made with hoses plugged into the kitchen sink.

It also wasn't unusual to wash clothes in the sea during the war. My family used to do the same thing. Dump the cloathes in a net with soap sprinkled in the middle of the pile and drag the net behind the boat for an hour. Worked really good.
-Pv-

Just curious, if you washed them in salt water, would they ever really dry? It seems the salt would make the clothes damp.:hmm:

[-Pv-]

I don't recall there being any problem other than smelling like fishing line, but after a few weeks on living on the water everything smelled like that. Maybe they were rinsed in fresh water afterward. Don't remember that part.
-Pv-

[M. Sarsfield]

It also wasn't unusual to wash clothes in the sea during the war. My family used to do the same thing. Dump the cloathes in a net with soap sprinkled in the middle of the pile and drag the net behind the boat for an hour. Worked really good.

My dad said that they did this off the back of the AOR that he was on in the late 60's/early 70's. The phosphorous that was churned up by the props would clean the clothes - that's what mainly cleans your clothes in clothes detergent, anyway. The problem with doing this on a fleet boat is that anything dragged behind it on a rope is going to get caught in a prop at some point, because of the way that the stern is sloped. Also, if you had to dive at a seconds notice, there goes half the crew's clothing.

[capthelm]

i have been on the uss ling so when i find my pics i will post..them:rock:

[kylesplanet]

i have been on the uss ling so when i find my pics i will post..them:rock:

That would be really cool:up: :up:

[capthelm]

still lookin hehe