Black gang (ship)

Coal dust adhered to the perspiration-drenched skin and clothing of men shoveling soft coal in the radiant heat of a hot boiler firebox.

The black gang is the part of a ship's crew that works in the engine room.^[1] They were called 'black' because of the soot and coal dust that was thick in the air in the fire room/engine room. The term began usage in the days of the coal fired steam-ships. The term is commonly used in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard to describe personnel in "M" and "B" divisions.

References

1. ↑ Santos, Michael (2002). Caught in Irons: North Atlantic Fishermen in the Last Days of Sail. Rosemont Publishing & Printing Company. p. 64. ISBN 1-57591-053-5. 

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