I moved into a new flat about a month ago and while I was unpacking my books a sheet of paper fell from the ones that I had inherited when my Grandmother died about two or three years ago.
This certifies that my Grandfather was "initiated into the ancient and mysterious rites and ceremonies" of the RMS Empress of Japan, 3rd August 1942. As I know my Grandfather was at the Second Battle of El Alamein a few months later, I presume this ship was taking him to Egypt from Britain by the long route around the Cape of Good Hope. As part of a ritual called a "line crossing ceremony", when fresh sailors crossed the equator for the first time, he received this, signed by "Neptune, God of the Seven Seas."
I am assuming that's the reason - a line crossing ceremony is the best explanation I've heard so far. I have no idea what "Neither Shaved Nor Dipped" means.
The RMS Empress of Japan was an ocean liner that formerly worked between Canada and the Far East, until it was taken into war service by the British Government and renamed as the RMS EMpress of Scotland. Presumably the new stationary had not arrived at this point, however.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Empress_of_Japan_(1930)
If anybody could give me any more information about the ship, ceremony or certificate, that'd be much appreciated, but primarily I just wanted to share this.