A Blog About Women Who Were Homefront Heroines: the WAVES of World War II
During the 10-week Celestial Navigation course at NAS Seattle, WAVE instructors got a chance to practice “flights” in the navigator itself. Left to right are: Irena Aide (navigator), Linnea Peterson (instructor), Jane Hall (radio operator), and Elinor Johnson (pilot). The Navy began using Celestial Navigation in 1944.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
WAVES learned all sorts of things during the 10-week course in celestial navigation, which began in 1944. Here, Waneta Miller learns how to handle a sextant, an arced device used to measure distances between objects and altitude in navigation.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
In 1944, the Navy began a new specialty: celestial navigation for Link trainer instructors. The 10-week course was held at the NAS Seattle, Washington.
In this photo, Ruthe Ingerslew, Patricia Baldwin, and Sally King study the earth’s rotation to, as the Navy put it, “the celestial sphere” (aka the stars).
It comes from the National Archives.
The July, 1943 edition of the WAVES Newsletter honors the WAVES 1-year anniversary.
Ensign Helen Shepard, shown with Chief J.W. Nussbaumer, studies a machine in the radio laboratory at the NAS Squantum, Massachusetts.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
Here’s another photo of the “Firecracker War Bond Booth,” this one in color, from June 26, 1944 (70 years ago this week), set up to sell War Bonds in advance of the July 4th holiday at Naval Air Station Seattle. The goal was to earn enough to fund two PT Boats; the boats cost about $300,000 each. 
The photo comes from the National Archives.
WAVES were part of War Bond Campaigns at bases around the nation. This one at the Naval Air Station in Seattle was dubbed the “Firecracker War Bond Booth.” Given that the photo was first published on June 26, 1944 (70 years ago today!), we wonder if it had anything to do with the upcoming July 4th holiday?
Here, Mary Lindenmuth and Mary Daily, two WAVE officers, buy the first bonds for sale at the booth. Lindenmuth was Executive Officer of the WAVES at NAS Seattle and Daily was the 13th Naval District Director of the WAVES.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
WAVES in Washington, DC, go aboard the ferry to commute to work.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
WAVE Mattie Hyde, a Pharmacist’s Mate 2nd class, takes a CBC (complete blood count) at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Oakland, California in May 1943.
The photograph comes from the National Archives.
On this day in Navy History, 70 years ago, the WAVES Quarters D post office in Washington DC became. the first post office of its size (more than one or two employees) to be staffed entirely by women. On duty is Evelyn Bailey.
The photo comes from the National Archives.
Hinges of History 