What are the origins of the naval hand salute?
You can also access all our FAQ pages from here. 1. Grog was a diluted drink of rum and water issued to sailors. Rum was originally issued in the West Indies, where beer did not keep in the warm climate, and by 1731 it was in general use throughout the Navy. Each man was issued 1/4 pt twice a day and drunk neat. On 21 August 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon ordered that it was to be diluted at 1 gill of rum to 3 gills of water to prevent drunkenness. Vernon was nicknamed “Old Grogram” because of the grogram coat he wore and the men called this diluted rum “Grog” after the Admiral. 2. Figureheads were a form of ship decoration, often illustrative of the name of the ship or an allegorical figure. In ancient times, they were viewed as a religious symbol and a protection for the ship. They were often used as a method of identification when the majority of sailors could not read. In the 17th century, most figureheads were carved from elm. This was changed in the early 18th century to oak. In 174
