black gang
n.— «Schutz was part of the first group of sailors, also known as “plank owners”, to board the ship on its maiden voyage in 1943. His work detail manned and operated the engine room, better known as the “black gang.”» —“World War II veteran returns to USVI for reunion” in Los Angeles, California Caribbean Net News May 8, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Do you refer to your dog or cat as “somebody”? As in: When you love somebody that much, you don’t mind if they slobber. In other words, is your pet a somebody or a something? Also, for centuries, there was little consistency in the...
A Navy vet recalls learning the slang term gundeck, meaning “to sign off on checks or reports without fully completing them.” A possible origin involves a ship’s gun deck, either as a place where sailors hid to avoid duties or where navigational...