A Blog About Women Who Were Homefront Heroines: the WAVES of World War II
WAVE Seaman Eloise Hare of Green Bay, Wisconsin, is in training for Yeomen at NTS Stillwater, Oklahoma. She’s the subject of admiring glances from the locals. The girls standing neatly at parade rest are Carolyn Whitney, Frema Ruth Harris, and Catherin Harris, all of Stillwater.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
WAVE Link Trainer Operator Katherine Dillon uses a radio range chart on the Link flight simulation machine at NAS St. Louis. If the pilot becomes lost on the chart, Dillon points out his mistake.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
WAVE Link Trainer Operator Sheila Macksey looks intently at the radio range chart on the Link flight simulation machine. The pilot is arriving at what is known as the “cone of silence” on his chart – indicating he’s almost at the end of his test.
The November 1943 photograph comes from the National Archives.
WAVES Director Mildred McAfee is promoted to Captain, November 13, 1943. She’s being congratulated by Rear Admiral Randall Jacobs, Chief of the Navy Bureau of Personnel.
McAfee was the first Director of the Women’s Reserve. She took command on August 3, 1942.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
A salute from WAVE Genevieve Sullivan on this Veterans Day, taken 70 years ago this month. Veterans Day honors the armistice signalling the end of hostilities during World War II, which began on the 11th hour of the 11th of the 11th month in 1918. Hence the celebrating of Veterans Day on November 11th – to help us remember when “The War to End All Wars” ended.
Of course, there have been (too) many other wars since then. But on this day, we give honor to the men and women who have served.
Happy Veterans Day!
The photo comes from the National Archives.
WAVE Petty officers receive their ratings in November 1943 after going through specialized training. If you look closely at each woman’s arm, you’ll see she has a different insignia, indicating her rating.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
Upon graduation from the Hunter College boot camp, women had lots of options as to what path to follow during a Navy career. Here, women look at some of the choices in November 1943.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
Remember the photograph we posted a couple of weeks ago of the launch of the USS Franklin? By November 1, 1943, the same photograph was gracing the cover of the WAVES Newsletter.
The photo comes from the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies, Harvard University.
Captain Kenneth G. Castleman and WAVES Captain Mildred McAfee hear an explanation of how a Browning machine gun works from Specialist Margaret Forbes. She’s stationed at the NAS New York, at the WAVES at War show held at Radio City Music Hall in New York, October 1943.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
Parachute Rigger Myra Clarke explains some of the intricacies of packing chutes at the WAVES at War show held at Radio City Music Hall in New York, October 1943. In the group are, left to right: Capt. Kenneth Castleman; WAVES Captain Mildred McAfee; Miss Clarke; Mrs. James V. Forrestal, wife of the Undersecretary of the Navy; and Lt. Marion Enright.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
Hinges of History 