American servicewomen: Picture thread

[Biscuit]

Here's something a little different:

[Pirate-Drakk]

As women, the WASPs were not allowed to fly combat missions. However, they flew dangerous missions none the less. One of their primary functions was to ferry aircraft from the USA to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This often entailed flying to South America, across the Atlantic, to Africa, and then on to the Middle East (early war), or Russia for Lend Lease delivery. That's how they racked up 60 million miles while staying away from the combat zones.

While not "combat" missions, this activity was critical to the war effort and it was also relatively dangerous considering the technology and infrastructure of the time. There were few airports in S.A. and Afrika, not to mention a lack of navigational aids and weather forecasting. They flew across the ocean and endless wastes (the Amazon, the Sahara, the Atlantic) with a compass and a map, not a G.P.S. system.

Those women had some real grit. Hat's off to them!

[Biscuit]

Here's a pic of some Navy WAVE parachute riggers:



and one more:

[Whiterook]

Originally Posted by cyberia

That's a gorgeous piece! A work of art!!!

[cyberia]

WAVES training messenger carrier pigeons at the Santa Ana Naval station, 1944

[Whiterook]

Messy job! Amazing, when you think about it, the use of carrier pidgeons...I mean, how do you think they launched them off the carriers without tearing their little wings off?

[Whiterook]

Sorry!

[Biscuit]

I was looking for women doing anything, but being a secretary or knitting or anything along those lines. However, that was a mistake as it was a not so intentional show of disrespect for sailors and soldiers doing their part for victory.

So, without further delay I've got some dedicated women at the WAVES yeoman training school at the Innovative Teaching and Technology Center in 1944.

[Whiterook]

Can you imagine how noisy that must have been, elbow to elbow like that? Nice pic!

[Biscuit]

The noise would be so irritating.

Check out the girl on the front row, far left. She's had it with the wing-shaped hankie on her chest and thrown the ends over her back. OSHA would outlaw those things these days as it could get caught in the typewriter and cause a debilitating illness in 1:1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 typists.