A Blog About Women Who Were Homefront Heroines: the WAVES of World War II
The Navy caption for this 1943 photograph reads “My kitchen was never like this.”
In it, WAVE Ruth Potter gets a first look at the tools she’ll be using in her Machinist’s Mate training at Norman, Oklahoma. The photo comes from the National Archives.
Sunday morning breakfast for the WAVES at Mayflower Hotel, Washington, D.C. seventy years ago today, January 10, 1943. WAVE commander Mildred McAfee greets a group of WAVES working in Washington.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
The WAVES officer’s hat. The WAVE uniform was designed by the couture designer Main Bocher. The photo comes from the National Archives.
After the first snowfall of the year in 1943 (shown in yesterday’s photograph), the WAVES were up for some fun and games, like this snowball fight at the boot camp at Cedar Falls, Iowa. The photo comes from the National Archives.
In this 1943 photograph, WAVES march in the snow to their training. Note the perfect formation (even in snow!) and the WAVE standing in command at the far left. It comes from the National Archives.
In this photograph from January of 1943, WAVES at NAAF Treasure Island, San Francisco, leave their quarters on the way to work.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
In this photograph from the National Archives, WAVES at NAAF Treasure Island march in formation. The photo is from seventy years ago today.
In this photograph from 1943, WAVES are in the midst of a four-month training course at NATTC, Norman, Oklahoma. They are receiving training that will let them become Aviation Metalsmiths to maintain Naval airplanes.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
WAVES at NATC Pensacola, Florida, work on their shooting skills. They’re using a .22 target pistol before advancing to larger guns. Upon completion of the course, they will be assigned to teaching male gunners marksmanship, using films and synthetic guns.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
In this photograph from the National Archives, WAVE Bette Board Brown airbrushes a photograph at the Navy’s Art and Animation Division, U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, Anacostia, D.C.
Hinges of History 