This whimsical 'Domain of Neptunus Rex' certificate commemorates Lt. C. P. McAleer's initiation as a 'Trusty Shellback' after crossing the Equator aboard ship on 24 March 1944. A long-standing naval tradition dating back centuries, the equator-crossing ceremony transformed uninitiated 'Pollywogs' into Shellbacks through a day of costumed ritual and good-natured hazing performed by shipmates playing King Neptune's royal court — a cherished morale ritual carried into the modern Navy of World War II. Project: 218326