“…Exceedingly Low Cunning and Vile Stealth.”

It started as a bit of fun during WWII when a Royal Australian Navy lieutenant wrote a spoof note on a lovely photo of Esther Williams.

“To my own Georgie, with all my love and a passionate kiss. Esther.”

He placed the photo beside his pillow. Before long, it was stolen by an officer from another ship.

And so the Esther Williams Trophy came to life.

British, Australian, and U.S. navies fought for possession. It changed hands, changed hands again. Rules were set. Only officers could participate. The trophy was to remain “unsecured and in full view” and could only be removed “by force or by exceedingly low cunning and vile stealth.”

Things could get rough, to the point of near drownings and the hospitalization of crewmen.

At some point, the parties decided the original photo was too dear to risk, and it was retired to a safe location. A “fighting copy” was made to take its place.

The battle continued for 70 years until a few days after Esther Williams died at the age of 91.

The trophy was retired for good.

USN Poplin Deck Shirt (No. 6634). An authentic recreation of the original U.S. Navy deck shirt, the lightweight standard uniform shirting of the U.S. Navy in the 1940s. In 100% Japanese cotton poplin. Military-grade two-hole poly workwear buttons. Two patch pockets. Bound cuff placket. Imported.