The two-handled spoon

Posted by Parthian on September 17, 2008 at 09:58

"to get the two-handled spoon" I have just come upon this phrase in "The Trial of the Veronica Mutineers". It is clearly referring to a naval punishment, but the term's meaning is not even hinted at. Does anyone know what it means? I can only guess it involves some sort of dunking. Google was no help. The mutiny occured in 1902 and the phrase is out of the trial transcript.