I have to say that this card is a very good one to use in club "Guess the Set" quizzes, because it definitely is misleading as to its actual identity. Most collectors will immediately see the divers and think of sports - but, on the other hand, few collectors of cards on swimming and diving seem to know of it either.
As far as the order "Hands to bathe", this is not a new thing. It dates from way back in Naval history, and was first formally recorded as a command in the eighteenth century, though it is thought to have been done without being an official command for some time.
What happens is that the ship comes to a full halt and the sailors can dive in and have a swim to refresh themselves. Today, diving in is optional, and done for pleasure, but in the eighteenth century, this would have been forced, for hygiene, as there were no showers on board.
The first shower on board any military sea faring vessel is often said to have been on the German type XXI submarine, which served in the Second World War. This is not strictly true as the American Navy had showers in the 1920s, but they ran off sea water, and used an odd system where you the water ran half a minute, then was cut off for a minute, then went back on for half a minute so the bather could rinse off. The men also used a special soap which did not need much water to make a lather. But for the most part, hygiene was arrived at by simply deodorant. Hence the need to clean off in the sea.
There is something unintentionally funny amidst the wording on this card - or maybe it is only funny to me. It is the end piece, where it says "...a "standard" swimming test which consists of swimming 40 yards in deep water wearing a duck suit.... But, of course, it does not mean dressing up as Donald, or his nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, with a beak, and webbed feet, "duck" was a hard wearing material, made of cotton, and often white, which is how it got the name.
This set takes a while to appear in our original set of reference books, and does not feature until part IV, or, more correctly, RB.16 – The Cigarette Card Issues of W.D. & H.O. Wills Parts I, II, and III (revised) and Part IV. This was published in 1950.
In here it is recorded as :
- 253. 50. LIFE IN THE ROYAL NAVY. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Backs in grey, with descriptive text, adhesive. Issued 1939.
A. Home issue, with Special Album and I.T.C. Clauses
B. Channel Islands issue, without Album or I.T.C. Clauses
The curious thing is that we have no month of issue for the Channel Islands version, which means it was printed there, rather than being printed here, exported, and then circulated
Now by the time of our original World Tobacco Issues Index, the two, as usual, are parted. Our home issue appears in section 2 of the Wills listings, which is for "Issues with I.T.C. Clause". This section is split into dates, and our set is in the final one, sub-section 2.C, devoted to "Issues 1934-39 - cards with adhesive backs. Special albums issued unless stated". It is entered as :
- LIFE IN THE ROYAL NAVY. Sm. Nd. (50). See W/253.A ... W62-195
The Channel Islands issue has floated off to section five, "Other Export Issues without I.T.C. Clause, issued through B.A.T. Small size 67-68 x 36 m/m and inscribed "W.D. & H.O. Wills", unless stated". It is actually in sub section 5.D, for "English Language Issues, 1935-39. Issued chiefly in Channel Islands and Malta". And it is catalogued as :
- LIFE IN THE ROYAL NAVY. Sm. Nd. (50). Adhesive back. See W/253.B ... W62-497
These texts are identical in our updated World Tobacco Issues Index, but the card codes have changed, to W675-238 for the home issue and W675-712 for the Channel Islands one. However you will find the latter under sub section 6.D, owing to newer Wills home issues displacing it.