WAVES were assigned to make and do the upkeep on parachutes Navy men would use to leap from planes during battle. In this 1943 photo from the U.S. National Archives, a WAVE packs a ‘chute.
USS Lewis Hancock
Joy Bright Hancock had been married to Navy man Lewis Hancock, Jr., a submarine officer during World War I. During the early 1920s he served on various battleships, and in 1922 he was assigned to be executive officer of a Navy dirigible, the Shenandoah. The Shenendoah crashed in Caldwell, Ohio in 1925.
In this photo, Hancock is christening a ship named after her late husband. The ship set sail in August 1943.
The photograph comes from the U.S. National Archives.
Joy Bright Hancock
One of the WAVES officers in charge was Joy Bright Hancock. She served in the Navy during World War I as a Yeomanette, or Yeoman (F), and worked as a civilian for Navy aviation during the years between World War I and World War II. This portrait of her dates from 1943.
It comes from the U.S. National Archives.
Ship Ahoy!
In this photo from 1943, Navy WAVE Ensign Margaret Idol, of Greensboro, NC, watches a ship come into the Charleston Harbor. She is on duty in the Port Director’s office, Sixth Naval District Headquarters.
The photo comes from the U.S. National Archives.
Conning Tower
Every Naval station and training center had its own newspaper. The WAVES even had a monthly newsletter that was sent to all members from Naval headquarters in Washington, DC. Conning Tower was the base newspaper for the Hunter College WAVES boot camp in the Bronx, New York.
This edition is from August, 1943. The headline of the day? First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt would be visiting the facility.
The newspaper is held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
Birthday Girls
Yesterday was the Coast Guard birthday, last week was the anniversary of the founding of the WAVES and today is my sister’s birthday. So it only seems appropriate to continue the birthday theme, with this ad from the August 1943 edition of Conning Tower, the official newspaper of the WAVES boot camp at Hunter College in the Bronx, New York.
Happy birthday all!
The newspaper is held by the The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.
We’re Back!
First, we’d like to apologize for our lack of posting to the Homefront Heroines community. But we’re back again, posting a photo a day about the WAVES and SPARS during World War II.
In this 1943 photo, SPARS commander Dorothy Stratton meets with some of her troops. It’s the anniversary of the founding of the Coast Guard today, so we thought this an appropriate way to wish them a Happy Birthday!
The photo comes from the US Coast Guard Archives.
Come See Us in Sarasota!
Hello Homefront Heroines, friends. We have exciting news!
The film is an official selection for the Through Women’s Eyes/Sarasota Film Festival. Homefront Heroines: The WAVES of World War II will have its world premiere on April 7ths a 2:45pm, and will have a second screening on April 9th at noon. If you’re in Florida, come visit.
We also apologize for the downtime on the blog, but now you understand why we’ve been quiet recently. We’ve been rushing to get the film finished for it’s official screening!
So excited – and we hope to see you in Sarasota!
All Aboard!
WAVES departing from the last boot camp at Cedar Falls, Iowa, board a train for new places of instruction in February, 1943. The photograph comes from the National Archives.
Inspection
At the last boot camp in Cedar Falls, February 1943, Captain Davis, USN, followed by Lt. Margaret Disert and Dr. Petee inspect the WAVES. The photo comes from the National Archives.
Hinges of History 