WAVES in Khakis?

[Hutch166]

Hi,

 

I am doing some research towards a forthcoming publication and would appreciate advice on WAVES uniforms in WW2. My question is: did WAVES officers ever wear khakis or sun-tans when stationed in the PTO during the latter part of WW2? I am familiar with the three standard WAVES uniforms, but even their seersucker working rig would hardly seem adequate or appropriate for the PTO environment. Can anyone help please?

 

Thank you.

[sigsaye]

The quick answer is no. Women were not issued any khaki uniforms. That being said, I am sure that Navy women stationed in "forward" areas acquired khakis to wear as a working uniform

[doyler]

A lot of the women wore or sourced mens uniforms to wear.Many times espeacially early in the war there were limited or nothing else available.Many of the WACs were issued mens coveralls and hbts early.

 

I know of a few nurses who even wore jump boots.Im sure they would wear what was avaiable through supply or sourced where possible.Some place I have a very small issue mans ike jacket worn by a 7th Army nurse

[cutiger83]

The quick answer is no. Women were not issued any khaki uniforms.

 

 

If you include the Navy Nurse Corps, they were issued khaki uniforms. Mainly the flight nurses.

 

Hutch166,

 

The WAVES did not serve overseas so they would not have been in the PTO in the latter part of the war. The Navy Nurse Corps did serve in the PTO. Are you including the Navy Nurse Corps in your research? Or are you specifically talking about the WAVES?

 

...Kat

[sigsaye]

Kat, are you meaning dress khaki uniforms or mens uniforms adopted for use in tropical climates? I sort of incorrectly lumped WAVES and NNC into one bunch, sorry, I know better. I did not think WAVE officers or CPOs had khaki uniforms, but I have seen photos of NNC on Pacific islands wearing mens khakis and boots. AI was not aware that NNC had khakis. I looked through the books I have on Navy uniforms, and did not see Khaki dress for NNC. Not argueing the point, might have missed it. I bow to your superior knowledge of Womens uniforms and say, "What Kat says"!

 

Steve

[cutiger83]

I looked through the books I have on Navy uniforms, and did not see Khaki dress for NNC. Not argueing the point, might have missed it. I bow to your superior knowledge of Womens uniforms and say, "What Kat says"!

 

Steve

 

 

Steve,

 

I don’t think you are arguing at all. If we don’t discuss the items, how can we learn? I am certainly not an expert on women’s uniforms. I am always learning.

 

I was looking thru my “Dressed for Duty” book in the section about the NNC. You are correct about the WAVES. I could not find anything about khaki uniforms for the WAVES. I do see pictures of a khaki dress, garrison cap, flight shirt etc for the NNC.

 

Excerpts from the book:

 

“The ‘aviation khaki’ uniform entailed a khaki shirtwaist with the diagonal zipper, trousers or skirt and garrison cap. A khaki battledress jacket was optional with this uniform.”

 

The book talks about an aviation working uniform of “aviation khaki” that was “probably introduced in 1945.”

The book also talks about a summer flight uniform that was first introduced as gray gabardine which was changed to khaki in 1950.

 

It sounds like khaki may have been phased in starting late in 1945 thru 1950 which sounds like the time the OP is researching. Let me do some more looking around to see what I can find. I love to research and learn about women's items. If you find anything in your books to the contrary, please let me know!

 

Thanks, Kat

[cutiger83]

Mods,

 

Do you think this could be moved to the women's section so someone like member "memphis_belle" who knows WAY more than me can see this thread?

 

Thanks, Kat

[cutiger83]

Steve,

 

I found some more info in the book “Women for Victory”. This backs up what you said about the NNC wearing men’s uniforms overseas. Here is what that book says

 

“Male-issue khaki uniform apparel was worn as available by many navy nurses instead of the impractical white indoor uniform, especially in overseas tropics. The rank and service component (NNC) insignia was pinned to the shirt collar in the same manner prescribed for male navy officers.”

 

This book also mentions the flight nurse working uniform not being khaki until 1950.

 

I am going to keep looking to see if I can find out more about the khaki dress that the “Dressed for Duty” book mentions. Especially the khaki uniform it says that was "probably 1945".

 

…Kat

[sigsaye]

Thanks Kat, sometimes, the term Khaki means different things to different researchers and authors depending on the era they are most familure with. I am going to have to get that book also.

 

Steve

[Justin B.]

I am doing some research towards a forthcoming publication and would appreciate advice on WAVES uniforms in WW2. My question is: did WAVES officers ever wear khakis or sun-tans when stationed in the PTO during the latter part of WW2? I am familiar with the three standard WAVES uniforms, but even their seersucker working rig would hardly seem adequate or appropriate for the PTO environment. Can anyone help please?

 

As mentioned above, WAVES were overwhelmingly used in the US to "free a man to fight." Admiral Nimitz did not like the idea of women in uniform and pretty much banned WAVES from the PTO, even in Hawaii until CINCPAC headquarters moved to Guam.

 

Nurses of course were another story. There are pictures of them wearing khaki and OD clothing in forward areas, but that would have been obtained more like organizational equipment than being "official" uniforms. Which the Navy also did for outfits like the Seabees. Remember also there were WAC and women Marine uniforms with khaki items, so there were suppliers the Navy could go to without too much trouble if needed.

 

It sounds like khaki may have been phased in starting late in 1945 thru 1950 which sounds like the time the OP is researching.

 

Flight nurses seem to have had "aviation green" uniforms through much of the war, plus flight suits, flight jackets and so on, but again it was organizational clothing contracted and issued through the Bureau of Aeronautics. I don't know much about them or even if there was a standard pattern. The official uniform versions, equivalent to men's khaki and aviation greens, were authorized in August 1950, see All Hands, Dec. 1950 (PDF), p. 55. Of course that meant that what had once just been issued when assigned to flight duty now had to be paid for out of their own pockets!

 

This is from the 1951 USN Uniform Regulations:

 

[Justin B.]

Also from the 1951 uniform regs:

 

[29navy]

It wasn't Nimitz that banned the WAVES from overseas duty, it was Congress. Part of the bill authorizing WAVES kept them in the Continental US. It wasn't until September 1944 that it was changed and allowed them to go to Hawaii, Alaska and the Caribbean. I think the first WAVES arrived in Hawaii in about December 1944.

 

Charlie

[Hutch166]

Hi,

 

I am obliged to all of you who took the trouble to discuss my query. You have certainly answered my question in that WAVES were not officially issued with khakis as a standard uniform during WW2. By the way, when I spoke of WAVES being deployed in the PTO, I was thinking about Hawaii which, technically, was home territory rather than the PTO per se. Also, I was not including NNC in my question because I was already aware of nurses in the PTO adopting, officially or otherwise, male khaki uniform as a more practical form of dress.

 

Thanks once again.

 

Hutch166

[Justin B.]

It wasn't Nimitz that banned the WAVES from overseas duty, it was Congress. Part of the bill authorizing WAVES kept them in the Continental US. It wasn't until September 1944 that it was changed and allowed them to go to Hawaii, Alaska and the Caribbean. I think the first WAVES arrived in Hawaii in about December 1944.

Thanks, I was just going by what it said in the Nimitz biography by E. B. Potter.

 

Justin B.