What tattoo designs are most traditionally associated with the Navy (UK or otherwise)?

Question

Serious, informed answers only please.

Answer 1

In the 1940s and 1950s it used to be an anchor on the arm

Answer 2

Possibly the least known tattoo is one which Winston Churchill had.  It was a single anchor [not sure which arm].  The single anchor is significant in that Winston was the First Sea Lord before becoming PM in 1940.

Tattoo history -

http://www.studio-international.co.uk/re...

Although tattooing was widespread here in Britain before and during the early Roman occupation - it must have died out at some time.

It's rebirth probably came about as a result of Royal Navy exploration into the South Seas where plenty of folk had tattoos - including and especially the folk of Hawaii and New Zealand etc.

Tattoo archive

http://www.tattooarchive.com/history/sai...

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_were_trad...

There is an ancient history of tattooing here in Britain.  While the Celtic folk of Britain were busy designing tattoos, their cultural origins were Germanic Europe.

http://www.tattoosymbol.com/celtic.html

Answer 3

A trident pitchfork

Vet-USAF

Answer 4

anchors, eagles, flags, boats and that sort of thing.

Answer 5

i served in the Navy, and the majority of the people I know have Asian tattoos. But that's because the majority if us where on deployment in the Pacific. It's always some sort of animal (snake, dragon, panther, etc) that looks scary or with fire. I know because I have both a dragon and a panther that I received while in Australia and Japan (while on deployment).  

Answer 6

For the Royal Navy it's a very large W followed by an anchor so it reads W-anchor !   ;-)

Answer 7

Always popular is the anchor, (with or without a wife/mother's name). Sometimes the ships name or a mermaid.

Answer 8

Anchor or cute favorite cartoon animal, names of loved or lusted ones.

Answer 9

An anchor or a girl in a swimming costume