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Articles from the WWII newpaper The Avenger


cutiger83
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I found a website that has scans of two WWII WASP newspapers named "The Fifinella Gazette" and "The Avenger". There are some interesting articles about all aspects of the war. I will try to add a few of the more interesting articles over the next few days. Some of them are "tongue in cheek" humor but some are interesting facts about the war. I hope y'all enjoy these articles.

 

April 1st 1943 – The Fifinella Gazette

 

There is a section called Sky Happy which is small blurbs of things overheard at Avenger Field. Here were two funny ones.

 

And how about the Tower Tale anent the frantic control man who screamed: “God! Don’t do that!” And the calm reply. “This is God reporting. I won’t. “

 

Heard in the Ready Room “But sir, every approach has to have a landing.” And sometimes three or four?

 

 

 

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May 11th, 1943 – The Avenger

 

Solid Landing (Excerpt from the Wall Street Journal)

 

A certain flying instructor in Kansas City has to put up with a good deal of kidding these days as the result of a parachute jump. Recently he and one of his students were up in a training ship. The student, well advanced in his flying, was doing good work and the instructor, in the rear cockpit, dropped off to sleep. Upon completion of the flying period, the student returned to the field, landed without disturbing the instructor, rolled the ship into the hangar, and walked off leaving the instructor sleeping. Some time later, he awoke and was startled to find no student in the front cockpit. The silence told him the motor wasn’t running. In his sleepy state, he thought the motor had quit and the student had bailed out. So he rolled hastily over the side of the plane, pulled the rip cord on his parachute, landed on the concrete floor of the hangar and broke his collar bone.

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Another one from the May 11th, 1943 – The Avenger

 

Cockpit Cackle

 

Applications for enlistment in the Foreign Legion are now being accepted from members of the 318th. After the intensive drill practice in the dust of West Texas getting ready for visiting notables, the Legion feels that trainees will be well adapted to service in the shifting sands of the Sahara

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Here are some more:

 

I thought it was interesting that some of the women who did not make it as a WASP joined the Air Force branch of the WAC.

 

 

Oct 22 1943 The Avenger

 

 

WAC Enables Eliminee to Work in Air Forces

 

Elizabeth (Betty) Merrylees, daughter of Mrs. Ada Merrylees of Greenville, Ill., has joined the WAC under provisions of the new enlistment proviso recently announced for Miss Merrylees, who entered training as a member of 44-W-2, will be assigned to WAC duty with the Army Air Forces, according to Lt. Patricia Nicolai of the Sweetwater WAC recruiting office. She is a graduate of the Phoenix, Ariz. Junior College and was a nationally known archer. Her sister is First Lieut. Ruth Merrylees of the WAC.

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Oct 22 1943 The Avenger

 

Women Better Pilots Than Men, Noted Designer Declares

 

Columbia, Missouri (UP) – Major Alexander DeSeversky author of “Victory through Airpower” thinks women would make better combat fliers than men do. Women, he says, can follow rules longer than men and stick to their jobs longer. DeSeversky believes men degenerate under routine, but women follow rules and work more individually and with more tenacity than men. He told a group of Stephens College girls recently that he hoped women would never have to fight. But he said women would make topnotch pilots, and more women’s colleges should offer primary flight training. Stephens College says it’s the only private women’s school offering such a course.

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Does anyone have an example of the medals mentioned in this article?

 

Oct 22 1943 The Avenger

 

Medals To Be Given War Workers

 

Plans are now being made to present service awards to eligible civilian employees of the War Department throughout the United States in acknowledgement of faithful and meritorious performance of duty, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson has announced. The first of these awards will probably be conferred with appropriate ceremonies early in December. The decorations are being established according to Secretary Stimson’s order, “in furtherance of the Department’s policy to encourage the continuance of the highest individual effort and to recognize those civilians who have served faithfully, meritoriously, and exceptionally.” The awards are authorized under an act of the 78th Congress granting nonmonetary rewards in recognition of such services. The decorations will be in the form of lapel ribbons. Suitable for wear on the coat or dress, and will bear the emblem in colors of the unit issuing the citation. The ribbon is woven in blue and silver colors. Additional strands of braid at each end of the ribbon will be used to denote the two higher awards. When an employee is resented with more than one of the awards only the highest will be worn.

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Ian and RC,

 

I am so glad y'all liked these. I thought they were very interesting to see small tidbits from during the war. I will add some more as time permits.

 

...Kat

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Nov 19, 1943 the Avenger

 

Ziff Sees Terrible Devastation From Air For Germany

 

Washington (UP) – The noted aviation writer, William B. Ziff, predicts terrible devastation of Germany by air power. Ziff says Premier Stalin at last has been convinced of the value of bombing Hitler’s vital production centers. He adds that the Soviet leader’s new attitude makes possible a synchronized air effort on the continent.

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It is funny how you can see the propaganda slant in the last paragraph. It is almost like they are portrayed as tourists.

 

Nov 19, 1943 the Avenger

 

 

WACS LAND

 

With the Fifth Army in Italy (UP) – The first members of the WACs have landed on the European mainland. Fifty-five of them from North Africa took over their new posts at the Italian front last night. Although they are the first WACs to arrive in Italy, they are not the first women to be with the American forces in that theater. Army nurses have been in Italy since the invasion at Salerno. The primary interest of the newly arrived WACs is to see the sights. And they all are looking forward to seeing Rome just as soon as possible.

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Interesting for sure.

 

I suspect in the latter article that they wanted to downplay any fears the public had of WACs getting close to the front line as well as maintaining an 'upbeat' story about fighting to Rome.

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Hi Kat!

 

I've not been on-line too much the past few weeks, but what a great thread to come back to! A very interesting read!!

 

Excellent and historical material, I really thank you for sharing this with us.

 

Best wishes!

Joe

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Dec 17, 1943 The Avenger

 

Generals Average 51 Years Old

 

The average age of the 1,114 generals in the U.S. Army is 51 years, which is one month younger than the average age of generals on active duty when World War I ended.

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Dec 17, 1943 The Avenger

 

Razor Blades Used Against Nips

 

Guadalcanal – (CN6) - Marines stick old razor blades in trees for Japs to cut their hands and feet on when they shin up to snipe.

 

 

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March 3, 1944 The Avenger

 

18 Year Old Has Served with Army, Navy, Marines

 

Columbus, Ohio (ALNS) – Stanley Shevlin who is just 18 years old has already seen service in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps – and is now back in the Navy again. It all started in 1941 when Stanley joined the Army shortly after his 16th birthday. While on maneuvers in Hawaii he developed a bad ankle, so was sent back to the States and given a medical discharge. Just after Pearl Harbor, young Shevlin persuaded the Marines that he was OK and he enlisted again the Gyrenes – but again the ankle went bad and he got medical discharge number two. One month later, in September, 1942, Shevlin tried the Navy, passed the physical, served on an aircraft carrier, became an aerial gunner and had to bail out of the plane he was riding in. When he hit the ground, bang went the ankle again and he was given his third discharge. But now he’s back again. After treating the lame ankle, Shevlin got his draft board to classify him as 1-A, he was called and the Navy now has him again.

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March 3, 1944 The Avenger

 

Women soldiers are serving as instructors for radio operators who man the Army Air Forces bombers. Members of the Women’s Army Corps – called Air WACs when they serve with the AAF – are among the code instructors at AAF radio schools.

 

 

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Hi

 

Thank you for posting these articles, I have never heard these before.

 

I am not afraid to say that I have learned from these posts, and enjoy reading them.

 

RC

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March 17, 1944

 

Helicopter Rushes Plasma to Stricken Destroyer Survivors

 

New York – On a blustery January day, a Coast Guard Sikorsky R4, piloted by Commander Frank A Erickson, carried out an emergency mission to fulfill the first operational assignment in the history of direct lift aircraft. The destroyer, U.S.S. Turner had exploded in the Ambrose Channel. Survivors had been landed on Sandy Hook, across the bay. They were urgently in need of blood plasma, banked in Manhattan. Snow, rain and wind had grounded all airplanes. Harbor traffic was creeping through the murk. Every minute counted. Here was a situation to challenge the Coast Guard motto, Semper Paratus (Always Ready). The Coast Guard came through. Over at Floyd Bennett Field, Commander Erickson rolled one of his Sikorsky helicopters out of the hangar. Lifting into pelting snow, he headed at tree top level for Battery Park at the tip of crowded Manhattan. There he landed took on plasma from a Red Cross truck and lifted off again across the bay, keeping to his course at masthead height. Fourteen minutes later, he settled down at Sandy Hook, delivering his precious cargo exactly where it was needed, long before it could have reached the survivors by any other means of transportation. There were no crowds, no cameras, no fanfare. Commander Erickson described the mission as “routine”. But history had been made.

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March 17, 1944

 

Allied Officers to Wear U.S. Army Uniforms

 

Soon now, you’ll begin to see U.S. Army uniforms decked out with the buttons and insignia of our cobelligerent nations. For the duration and six months, officers of such nations on duty in the continental United States, are authorized to purchase and wear our uniforms, upon proper identification, provided the U.S. Army insignia and buttons are removed and the appropriate insignia and buttons of their respective countries are substituted. Some of our allies are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain uniforms from their homelands, particularly those whose countries have been occupied by the enemy. The courtesy of our uniform will solve the problem of military clothing.

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March 17, 1944

 

New Tactics Add to Navy’s Punch

 

Washington – Vought Corsairs flying for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific have help developed a new and successful tactical operation. Their extra long range enables them to start out from land bases, rendezvous with carrier task forces, and fly back and forth high up in the clouds overhead giving the task force “top cover” during attacks. From this position they take over the job of defending the carriers, whose entire complement of fighters can then escort the bombers and torpedo planes on striking missions. These new tactics were used on one of the early carrier strikes against Rabaul. The carriers sent out their dive and torpedo bombers. With them went all their Grumann Hellcat fighters as escort. But land based Corsair squadrons took up protective patrol high over the surface fleet as the carrier planes took off. Eighteen enemy torpedo bombers appeared heading for one of the carriers intent on the kill. Out of nowhere screamed Corsairs of Lt Commander John Thomas Blackburn’s “Jolly Roger” squadron, based on a nearby tropical island. They knocked down 17 of the Japanese planes. The 18th got through. But right behind it was a Corsair, spitting.50 caliber slugs from its wing guns. The Japanese bored relentlessly thought the murderous flak put up by the ships. The Corsair came in, too, determined to prevent the Japanese from slamming his torpedo home. With only seconds to go the Corsair blew the Japanese apart. The American plane zoomed away, riddled by U.S. Flak but still flying. With the engagement over, all of the “Jolly Rogers” landed on a carrier, refueled and then resumed patrol. The Rabaul raiders returned to the fleet to find their carriers unharmed. The “Jolly Rogers” went home.

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April 7, 1944 – The Avenger

 

San Bernardino Army Air Field, Calif – (ALNS) - Capt Marcel A Kraft Special Projects officer is serving under the third flag in his third war. Born in France and trained at the French military college at Fontainbleau, he served in World War I as a fighter pilot in the French air force. After release from the French army he went to England as military attaché in London. He enlisted in the RAF and as a flight officer served in the air arm during the little publicized Polish- Russo incident in the early twenties – an incident that the captain reports was actually a full-fledged campaign to expel the Russians from Poland. Returning to civilian life, Capt. Kraft became a commercial pilot between London and Paris, then came to the United States in 1926 to become an industrial engineer. He was in Paris on a business trip when the Germans invaded in this war, escaping through Italy and turning to the United States, offered his services and was commissioned a captain in the U.S. Army in 1942.

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May 19. 1944 The Avenger

 

Mass Production Cuts Weapon Cost

 

Detroit Mich. (ALNS) - The cost of the United States forces of the four motored Liberator bombing planes has been reduced from $238,000 each to $137,000 each; of light tanks from $45,000 each to $22,564 each, and of 50 caliber machine guns from $510 to $200 each, as a result of the economies attained by mass production in Detroit plants since manufacture of these items of war was started, it is announced here.

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