Tag Archives: WAVES

WAVES at Pensacola

IMG_1858Pensacola, Florida hosted a huge Naval presence during World War II, including a Naval Air Training Center (training pilots and gunners). Women not only works to train pilots and gunners, but also kept the planes up to spec at the huge station (which spanned several different facilities).

The newsletter comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

WAVES at Lakehurst

IMG_1855The December 1943 edition of the WAVES News Letter featured profiles of the different bases where the women might be stationed, included Naval Air Station Lakehurst. In Lakehurst, women worked in various aviation-related dutied, including parachute riggers, aerographers, radio operators, control tower operators and other jobs.

The newsletter comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Training in Radio

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The December 1943 WAVES News Letter featured stories on the different types of training women  could pursue, such as this article on training in radio operation. Women would learn how to code messages and decode enemy transmissions.

The newsletter comes from the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Twin Gun Mounts

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WAVES in training at the Aviation Gunnery School in Pensacola, Florida, operate the simulator that operates like the twin-moutn power turret used by Navy gunners in aerial action with the enemy. The women will later serve as instructors at training centers throughout the country.

The November 1943 photograph comes from the National Archives.

Gunnery School

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WAVES in training at the Aviation Gunnery School in Pensacola, Florida, learn the operation of the projectors used in synthetic gunnery training devices (an early version of virtual reality). The women will later serve as instructors at training centers throughout the country.

The November 1943 photograph comes from the National Archives.