Uncategorized – Page 42 – Hinges of History

Air Traffic Control

This image looks really similar to the one we featured yesterday, from the cover of the WAVES Newsletter. But in this image from October of 1943, the two WAVES are studying the technique of air traffic control at the Air Traffic Control Tower Operators School, NAS Atlanta, Georgia.

The women’s course of study was six weeks long beyond boot camp. When they completed, they received a rate at 3/c petty officer and were assigned to air traffic control towers across the country.

The photo comes from the National Archives.

Newsletter, October 1943

The October 1943 edition of the WAVES Newsletter features Machinist’s Mates measuring to some pretty exact specifications – look at all the tools they’re using.

It comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University.

No Closet Space

What is a girl to do?

WAVE C. Reed arrives at the Acorn Training Detachment, Port Hueneme, California, with her wardrobe but no place to store it. And it looks like sh’es not alone – look at all those suitcases surrounding her!

The 1943 photograph comes from the National Archives.

Giddy Up!

Did you that WAVES had a horsey set? These women are members of the Acorn Training Detachment at Port Heuneme (Point Magu, California), taking advantage of a day off to go for a ride on a sunny fall day.

The 1943 photograph comes from the National Archives.

Trial Run

WAVES at the Hunter College boot camp get a chance to try out the Link Instructor first hand, c. 1943. The machine was used to train pilots during World War II. In this photo, you see a WAVE in the cockpit holding a mic, and in the background a second WAVE giving her “instructions” from the controller desk.

The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

The Link

An close-up shot of the “plane” used as part of Link training, on display for WAVES boots at the Hunter College boot camp in the Bronx, c. 1943. The “plane” sat on a pedestal and helped pilots learn the techniques of flight.

The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Link Controller

WAVES at the Hunter College boot camp see the controller of a Link Instructor up close. The machine was used for pilot training, and the instructor would sit at this control panel manipulating the “plane” port of the device to simulate flight.

The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

New Equipment

Classroom instruction at boot camp for WAVES uses innovative techniques, including showing the women the equipment they might be working with during their Navy career. Here, women at the USS Hunter see a Link Instructor, a flight simulation unit used to train pilots.

The c. 1943 photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Where in the World?

Another important thing for WAVES boots to know: where the Navy was fighting during World War II. The Hunter College boot camp instructed them in the various battle arenas, including how ships would travel across the seas.

The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Music and Lyrics

Classroom instruction at Hunter College in the Bronx also included the rich history of the Navy, including songs, as these WAVES boots learned in 1943.

The photograph comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.