A Blog About Women Who Were Homefront Heroines: the WAVES of World War II
This photograph, dating from August 1942, shows the first WAVES’ officers class at Smith College, who Joy Bright Hancock referred to as the “great unwashed.” The officers didn’t have uniforms when they began and the Navy was developing policy as the women went through training. They would later be the women to train other officers at Smith, as well as enlisted women at facilities around the country.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
It was 70 years ago today, October 6 1942, that the first full class of officers would come to Smith College for training in the WAVES. Northrup and Gillet Halls, shown here, were used as dormitories for that first class of officers.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
Captain Herbert Underwood, who came out of retirement to head the WAVES officer training facility at Smith College with trainee Lt. Elizabet Boland Crandall in early October 1942. Note that she isn’t even in a WAVE uniform yet.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
In this photo, Capen House is in the foreground and the Alumnae House is in the background. The two buildings are attached by a small breezeway located directly behind the mailbox. Alumae House was used as the WAVES headquarters during their officer training program at Smith College during World War II.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
Another shot of Capen Hall, now the Alumnae House, used as quarters for WAVES officers in training at Smith College during World War II. It comes from the National Archives.
Capen House, in this photograph, is located at the corner of Elm and Bedford Terrace in Northampton, across the street from the main Smith College campus. It’s part of the larger structure currently known as the Alumae House. During World War II, it was used as the WAVES dormitory.
This photograph comes from the National Archives.
The WAVES took over a number of campus building for the training facility at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, which brought in its first full class of officers in October 1942.
Paunce Hall, seen in the photograph above, was the WAVES principle recitation hall. The photo comes from the National Archives.
Captain Herbert Underwood, who was the chief commanding officer of the Smith College training facility for WAVES Officers. He was a graduate of the Naval Academy who the Navy recalled from retirement during World War II specifically to help coordinate and train the new WAVES.
He took to his new duties with humor and creativity and by all accounts was highly respected by the women he supervised. After handling one unusual request (the marriage between two Navy officers) he noted: “Uncharted waters. Proceed with caution.”
In early October, 1944, the first full WAVES officer class began training at Smith College in Northampton, MA. The women would train for their duties alongside students enrolled in the college at the time, and many of the campus buildings and haunts were taken over by the Navy. The initial officer class began in August for a compressed training session; they would be the ones training this new class.
This is Capen House, which was the principle WAVES dormitory.
A World War II-era WAVE sings “WAVES of the Navy” at the WAVES National Convention in Orlando, Florida, September 21.
Hinges of History 