Traditional handkerchief usage

[Lallans]

I think I have come up with a likely answer to Pleater's naval tip off question. My dad was naval and perhaps relatedly had a lot of British 'Boys Own Paper'-type stuff from the 19th century (I've always assumed it was the status of the British navy in those days that influenced his choice of military careers). Anyway a prime offense in those British days of sail (and I believe presently) was for a naval officer or skivvy to place his hands in his pockets, or certainly to be seen with his hands in his pockets- the BOP actually had little cartoons about it (since this was from the days of seriously lurching ships, I got the impression this prohibition was originally for practical, safety reasons.) The other posting that discussed the army use of pocket hankies suggests that parking one in the sleeve was a tip-off that the military person was with the navy. And, no one should dismiss the current use of hankies amongst the British male population- in my experience with them in relation to outdoors activities, they always have a hankie lurking somewhere- which in urgentish medical situations has more than once turned out to be a very good thing, and in fact something I have since tried to emulate. Better if they have not been used for other 'sanitary purposes' of course.