STEWARD! 

Obscure things like call buttons, chairs or bulbs are never mentioned elsewhere. That's why I am here.

But I LIKE pedantic videos about chairs?

Exactly the type of content that makes this channel a gem! Who else shows the day to day details of running a battleship. Most just concentrate on the battle statistics and even if its interesting too, it becomes a bit monotone after a while.

An unending source of rabbit holes! Love it.

Under the table with Ryan Szymanski.

3:46 the explosion proof / water proof enclosure around even the most mundane electrical items always makes me giggle In this case, it is extra funny because the kitchen would have open flames anyway 🤷

Ryan this was not a boring episode thank you.

I mess cooked on USS Midway CV-41, breaking out food from the forward reefers back aft to the galley. The wardroom and chief galleys apparently got their food with the enlisted galley as middleman. The forward reefers were frozen veggies, ice cream, and dairy/bread. We kept one of each ice cream flavor for ourselves, complete with those huge navy spoons. One day we had just delivered ice cream for the wardroom and discovered our half-eaten cartons were missing! Oops .... never heard anything about it, figured the stewards got a laugh and ate it themselves.

When I was on the USS Hancock (CV-19) we referred to the Captain's Orderly as the Sea Going Bell Hop. Love between the sailors and marines.

S-2 was not the "Steward's Division." S-2 was the Food Service Division, which until the merger of Commissaryman and Steward ratings in 1975, was the division which ran the General Mess and the CPO Mess. The Wardroom Mess Division was originally the S-5. The S-5 would've run the officer's messes during the Vietnam deployment. Sometime after the merger, when the Mess Management Specialist rating was created, it appears the S-2 division assumed responsibility for all the messes on the ship and S-5 disappeared. I've notice that the bullseye in the galleys, mess decks, wardroom, CPO mess, officer's stateroom identify the S-2 division as responsible for those compartments. Why not do a video on the divisions on the NJ and their abbreviations?

I'd love to see a video on the stewards themselves. It has been touched on in other videos about messing and such, but a dedicated video about all the things officers' stewards would do for them vs. what a captain's or admiral's steward would do would be interesting. How did it vary between different captains? How different was it on a battleship with lots of space compared to a destroyer? How does it change throughout history? Both just over history and in war vs. peacetime.

I feel that the Stewards ,cooks and those responsible for keeping cabins and living areas clean have been over looked far to long. The ship couldn't effectively operate without them!

When I was an IC3, one of my duties was running the projector for the admiral. He ordered the stewards to wait on me which they hated, as they were P02's

Now we know how Honor Harrington and MacGuiness communicated between her stateroom and the stewards pantry.

I recall a story I read about a ship’s captain in the Royal Navy. He insisted that his “kai” (a hot chocolate drink) be served to him in his cabin at bedtime with the little disk of foam still spinning in the centre of the mug. A guarantee, he thought, of freshness. Failure in this respect would result in the drink being rejected and a fresh one ordered. His steward, on the other hand, soon learned that a spoon and some spit applied just outside the captain’s cabin would avoid the extra work.

It’s because of videos like this that I watch this channel, no other channel I have found gives so much information about on daily life on the ship was like & how the entire system operated so smoothly.

After fighting as a guerrilla in WWII my father served as a steward aboard two of the IOWAS during the Korean conflict, he had many interesting stories to tell, unlike what some might think stewards were treated more like family than servants. After the war my father maintained friendships with the rear admirals and captains he served under.

I was an AT&T Special Services Tech for 27yrs (just retired) and had a trouble call on a federal judges panic button. The button was under the desk in their chambers and when pushed should summon tons of armed response in seconds, but had failed during a weekly test. The judge was off that day so I was allowed to get to work and crawled in there and spotted the broken wire immediately. While connecting the wires, the system thought I was pushing (apparently frantically) and sent the whole world to check on the problem. That door burst open and thankfully my legs and tool belt were in view and they decided not to shoot me, but I was SHOCKED to see the number and variety of weapons in their hands.

You were subconsciously mimicking the stewards white serving gloves. I’m surprised that you have not protected yourself before in dirty spaces like the boilers or crawling into tight spaces. Did the ship ever have any medical outbreaks onboard that required precautions? What is in the collection besides silver that needs specialized handling anything interesting we could see. Many of us like the obscure topics and find it interesting. One minor thing in a video leads us to another. Now we need have Ryan demonstrating PPE throughout the ships career and things we shouldn’t touch. Like was there asbestos on board? What dangerous stuff was there. And please if there is asbestos etc and you do a video mock it up don’t put yourself in harms way. Your dedication is awesome and so highly appreciated. You make a excellent educator and that takes a special person of which you definitely are. I have a list of two people on RU-vid who do an excellent job teaching us history in their own way any your on the list. Battle Ship New Jersey and RU-vid are so fortunate to have you.

I was a junior officer on the Missouri 1988-90 and don't recall having call buttons in the wardroom, nor much need for them. Generally there was always an MS on duty in the wardroom from before reveille until midrats were finished, even between meals, so if you needed something you could just get his attention and ask. Coffee and soft drinks were always out for self-serve. The CO's cabins did have call buttons.

I think part of the reason why senior officers have stewards isn't so much practical but symbolic. Across both land and sea services, there's this clear distinction between the officers and the bods. The officers may one day have to order the bods to their deaths, so some of the routine service of things like holding doors open and cups of tea has the same role as grooming in great apes. It serves to remind all involved of the clear rank structure.

Keep the pedantic videos coming! 👍🏼

It is very strange to think the system still exists, because the same reasons have not changed over the decades since the mothballing and conversion to museums. Even commercial ships may have stewards and orderlies to maintain a shipshape ship!

They're still used at my dinner table. I can press a button and summon pizza or whatever takeout I fancy.

Pedantry is what I'm here for, homie.

RYAN,, GREAT VIDEO!!! YOU SAY AND TEACH US GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE BATTLE SHIPS...THX.

A little history on the Steward rate - STEWARD--Takes charge of officers' mess. Arranges menus, prepares food, and supervises the purchase and service. Supervises the work of the steward's mates. STERWARD'S MATE--Serves at table in officers' mess. Takes care of officers' quarters and laundry. With the defeat of Spanish forces 1898, the U.S. took possession of the Philippines and soon began to recruit Filipinos to serve in the Navy. For the next 70 years, Filipinos were permitted to join the Navy without U.S. citizenship but were largely restricted to the steward rating and assigned to work in galleys and wardrooms. It was not until 1971 that the policy was changed to allow Filipinos to enlist in the Navy and enter any rating for which they were considered qualified through education or experience. Also, food service ratings in the U.S. Navy were historically divided into two broad groupings until the merger of commissaryman and steward ratings to mess management specialist on January 1, 1975. Before 1975, stewards prepared and served meals to the officers, maintained their quarters and took care of their uniforms. They served officers in the flag mess for admirals, the cabin mess for the ship's captain and the wardroom mess for all other officers. Until the merger, the steward rating, and its predecessor ratings were largely segregated. Sailors of African and Asian descent largely performed these functions.

PreWW2 navy was very much more class conscious than it was in the 80s. Probably more stewards back then also.

Amazing video, so interesting. You do an incredible job of bring out all the detail. Thank you, from NZ.

The stewards were great cooks. When I did work for them, drain unclogging, flushing repairs, etc. they would slip you some goodies they prepared from the ward room. Normally, it was food they prepared for themselves, great cultural food.

nothing wrong with a good chair, floor or lighting video.

The arrangement of the head of the table does follow an old military convention I subscribe to. You never sit with your back near/toward the door. Land based operations, this makes sense so if the enemy bursts through you have reaction time. Ship base operations, this may not be a thing.

you are never going to run out of discoveries on the ship Ryan... Keep up the great work..

I remember call buttons at my mother's family estate back in the Fifties. In resident cook and gardener with a maid under contract until around 1959.

Proof that RHIP was alive and well back then. Only a veteran knows what RHIP means.

I need to get one of these for the wife.

I think its a system from a bygone era. The concept that the commanding officers are extremely busy is still very real, the communication devices are far more sophisticated and capable, rendering this type of system unnecessary. I find it a fascinating peak into Navy culture.

Such a diplomatic way of saying "rank has its privliges" as you are fond of remarking that the military is big on traditions...and in centuries past , officiers were nobility or wealthy businessmen, used to having servants....therefore officers enjoyed this as well when in service.

A little bit of archaeology almost , on older ships there are always a few things that are still there and work but are rarely used . I'm sure the phone / intercom system would have taken over for the later periods of the ships life , although the pushes might have been useful for formal dinners .

Looks like Ryan gave orders to have an 16" shell in every single compartment of the ship. Good work. I would have done the same.

Well done and fascinating. 🇺🇸

Comment For the algo. How many curator units are these tables. Half a curator tall? 1 curator wide table base? (Feet or hip width). 1 curator table top, IE 1 curator body thickness. We need to get these curator measurements and get them logged as alternative SI units. Same as imperial us standard measurements are defined with an SI bases. Eg 2.2 lbs to the scientific base kg. LOL

Glad to see something on the Stewards! Keep it up

I did not expect a state room to be that big on a battleship. But it does make sense as BBs were designed to be capital ships so gotta have room for some extra brass id imagine.

There's something almost cruise-ship like about all this. To me it's fascinating how you have these fancy, well-appointed rooms, and the rustic sailor's racks, and the big guns and all the things that come with those all on the same ship.

"Button, button, who's got the button..." 🤣

This brings up a fascinating question for me, how segregated was the US Navy during WW2?

we had this system on the USS Forrest Sherman DD931 but it was not used in the 1970's. We kept powered down. It was called the "A call" and it was powered off the main IC switchboard in the IC room.

Wait! You did a video on lightbulbs?! Nice👍🏻

It would be nice if you did a video about the Marine Orderlies, their duties, both historically and "1980s".

U.S.Navy Stewart's (ST) ended as a separate rating in 1972,and was merged with commissaryman (CM).Today the rating is Culinary Specialist .

I liked your videos about chairs, lighbulbs, and this video as well. I like most of your videos.

Very cool video!

Hey, I love the chair video!

I guess with the number of cell phones everyone of a certain age will have a call button at the table. ;) Thanks for doing these videos they are so cool!

Killick! Killick there!

I fucking love this channel

The call box for the stewards is the same call box we have on CA-139, we fortunately still have our original call buttons on our wardroom tables

I tried using a dinner bell, w/ the wife, once. It didn’t go particularly well …. 😊

I know this sounds ridiculous, but I'd like to see a video on the different types of drawer pulls used throughout the ship. It's true,

It would be interesting to know more about the phone system on board, from a telecom perspective - you mention four digit extensions typically starting with seven. That suggests an automatic exchange. Given the span the New Jersey was in service I would guess a Strowger system but it could have been crossbar, either originally or as a later addition. Electronic control doesn't seem that likely. I wonder if the exchange equipment came from a major manufacturer like Strowger or Western Electric, or if there was a specialized manufacturer of shipboard exchanges? I would guess the system on the New Jersey was fairly large for the time and it might have had a pretty impressive exchange.

that buzz signal could be heard by certain ships like submarines, like the Uss New Jersey

Who would have instructed the captain on how to use stuff like the call box? The outgoing captain? Someone else on staff? Did the ship have a manual?

As a Marine officer doing a WestPac on an LPH I was horrified by the wardroom and way stewards were treated. I was always taught to be a servant leader not a leader of servants. 😂 and I don’t think Lance Corporals would’ve appreciated being waiters.

I served on a Knox class frigate and I’m trying to remember if the captain had something like a call button in his stateroom. I know they didn’t in the officers mess because the pantry was right next to it and all of the other officers had phone boxes in theirs.

Get those call button system charged and running. Would be awesome tour experience. Make it so… 😎

Did Royal Navy ships have such "call buttons". Stephen

How about a tour of the Chief's Mess/Quarters!!@

Admiral: Just bring me a cup of coffee!

retired MS1 here, spent alot of time in the weirdroom...

Rank definitely has its privileges

I thought there was a previous video on this topic. It seems to ring a bell ....

E-call. E-call systems were used at least into the 90's.

Two by two hands of blue

The president would keep a small wooden box with a red button on it in the Oval Office to summon a butler.

U need to get that working

My first word was light so yes I like light builbs😂

What type of security concerns would there be in the captain’s cabins? Isn’t that one of the most secure parts of the ship?

Yes. I have a dinner bell at home.

Would have loved to see the buttons 'in-action', otherwise very interesting!

STEWARD!

charis and ligth bulbs are at least the same important as ammunition wooden torches are not realy a solution, or saddles to sit :D

I would be surprised if there where call buttons for the other state rooms due to the fact they props did not have own steward assigned. Some of the. Senior officer which had named rooms may have them

It would be nice to know what system is used on new construction.

The other would be admiral

Can you plese do a video on how many dudes an admiral brought and what did they all do?

What's against lightbulbs!!😂

Can you do a video on how those indicators work?

👍👍👍👊👊

I want to know if there were any captains who famously live extremely lavishly or extremely spartan while in command.

The floor seems to be tiled. How do you do that on a ship that flexes?

Ryan do you think there is any available footage of Halsey and his officers meeting in the space you are presently in?

Does the call button still work?

Is it just me, but as a former employer of the DoD and machinist. I am realizing how over engineered a lot of military related simple items. I would think the CALLBOX would of sufficed as just a box that lit up and bell once the CALLBUTTON is used.

So incites from a sailor here to provide a theory, or really just a sea story. My CSC used to tell the story of the "Stewards div" or now Supply Div 2, and said that it was the enlisted who got rid of the steward. We did not like being at the beck and call of some silver spooned officer, thus they got rid of them for moral on the crew. Not sure if this is the real reason, but that is the story I know.

MY SON MAX AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT DUTIES YOU DID ON THE SHIPS YOU WERE ON WHAT RANK,, SEND PHOTO'S ..SHORT VIDEO....

Missed the one on light bulbs.

Does this system still work today?

yeah i have a bell but there seem not to be anyone to answer it. anyway, where do yeomen fit into this?

Was Steward considered good duty back in the day ?