Don't forget the Rosie the Riveters

[cutiger83]

I don't recall ever seeing the last images before. They are good examples of just how many vital areas of defense production absorbed women workers.

 

You are entirely correct. Women worked in many areas of defense production. It has been interesting looking for pictures. Maybe some of you who are better at searching the internet can look for some pictures as well.

 

...Kat

[cutiger83]

This information is from the B-25 History of the WWII Bomber group on Facebook:

 

74 years ago on Jan 19th, the first Rosies started working on the plant floor at the Fairfax B-25 bomber plant. Dorothy Brown, Georgia Wagner Phillips, Vera Thayer, Margaret Caroland, Irma Squire, Virginia Matter, Lennie Rees, and Aileen Zimmer started working in Department 16 on January 19, 1942. Within weeks of their arrival, several were promoted to "Leadwoman" or "Assistant Foreman" positions. Seen in this photo is Harriet Sturgis and Ida Lorraine Shrader of Deptartment 22 (electrical, radio and cables) speaking with General Knudsen, special production chief of the Army.

 

 

 

 

 

[cutiger83]

These are Rosie the Riveters working on the right side panel for the rear fuselage of the B-25.

 

[Wharfmaster]

Not a surprise at all. Before television, toaster ovens and TV-dinners, American women were extremely capable.

 

My Mother and Grandmother were so self-reliant, they could hunt bear with a stick. Oh how I miss them.

 

 

Wharf

[Allan H.]

Kat,

 

The Fairfax B-25 Bomber plant was located in the Fairfax District of Kansas City. Many years ago, I worked with a woman who was a cable splicer at that plant during the war. She married her high school sweetheart shortly before he shipped off to war with the 2nd Marine Division, and shortly afterwards, went to work in the B-25 plant. She was very proud of the fact that she was one of the first women to work in the plant and was immensely proud of the Army/ Navy "E" pennants that the factory earned. She still had her pins forty plus years after the war. She said her last day of work was just before Thanksgiving day 1945. She told me that the women started getting laid off, but none of the men working in the plants did.

 

I appreciate you sharing the photo, as it made me think of Nadine Mann.

 

Allan

[cutiger83]

Allan,

 

Great story! Thanks so much for mentioning Nadine. These women were all very proud of their work.

 

I spent two days this past week riveting a plane. I can honestly tell you that it gave me new found respect for these Rosie the Riveters! It is HARD work! I can't imagine doing it all day every day for several years.

 

...Kat

[sigsaye]

My mom wanted to join the Navy during WW2. She grew up on a farm in Iowa, and her 4 older brothers were all in the Army in the PTO. She required parental approval, and Grandpa would not sign. He needed her on the farm, which while she did not realize it at the time, was just as important.

[Allan H.]

Thinking of Nadine reminded me of this photograph of movie starlet Veronica Lake in this photograph that appeared in Life Magazine in 1943. The photo was designed to show the dangers of long hair around industrial equipment. Nadine said that women had to wear their hair in buns or tied up in kerchiefs so that they wouldn't get caught in the equipment. She said that it was very common to go into the fuselages of the B-25s and to find long strands of hair hanging off of rivets or where pieces of metal had been joined together. Long hair caught on EVERYTHING.

 

Allan

[cutiger83]

Allan,

 

It must have been amazing talking to her! I could have talked to her for hours.

 

I have the book about the Kansas City B-25 factory. There are some great pictures of the Rosie's. However, one of the most disappointing pictures in the book is a group of women labelled as WASPS who are very clearly WAACS.

 

...Kat

[cutiger83]

More pictures courtesy of the B-25 History.

 

As most of our girls have settled down for yearly maintenance, here is a photo of Margaret Sedler. She gave up her job as an office secretary to attend the National Defense Training School to become one of the first Rosie the Riveters at the Fairfax B-25 plant.

 

[cutiger83]

More Fairfax pictures:

 

 

[cutiger83]

This is a pic of Geraldine Doyle, the inspiration for "Rosie the Riveter" back in the day.

 

[cutiger83]

The Rosies from left to right:

 

Mary Lou White, Freda Renick, Emma Newland, Faye Ronk, Eleanor Bennett, & Maxine Deckard. photo by Dan Desko — at Commemorative Air Force- Heart of America Wing.

 

 

 

[cutiger83]

A landing gear is rolled into place on the final assembly line of North American's Inglewood Plant

 

 

Rosie wasn't just a riveter. Here is a Rosie at the Fairfax Plant In Kansas City showing us how it's done. This female welder made the same hourly rate as a male welder, about $1.35 per hour. That is about 2 and 1/2 times the prevailing wage of the day!

 

 

[cutiger83]

I would like to add that all of the above pictures were found on the B-25 History group on Facebook. They have some amazing pictures.

 

...Kat

[cutiger83]

[cutiger83]

[cutiger83]

[cutiger83]

Here are some more Rosie pictures.

 

 

This one says she is working on a B-24.

 

 

 

Here is a Rosie taking a coffee break

 

[Dogsbody]

I'm still in the process of discovering great threads on this Forum and I'm glad I found this one. Thanks everyone for uploading these great pictures

 

Rene

[cutiger83]

Female US Marine Private Marion Pillsbury working on a Browning M1919 machine gun at Marine Corps Base San Diego, California, United States, circa 1943.

 

[cutiger83]

Two more pictures sent to me by a friend....

 

[Lenny w]

A few on kodachrome film

[vette]

I want to thank all of you that posted all of these pictures of many of our women heroes. America and its allies could not have won the war with out their determination to keep us supplied for such a long war on two fronts. The reason I started this thread was because my grandmother didn't brag but was very proud of what she did. They needed to be recognized. When I had retired I took a part time job at the Akron Canton airport. I did a lot of wheel chairs, and luggage coming off from the planes and on them. An elderly lady that I had escorted through security and to her flight brought up her involvement during the war. She gleamed as I was telling people that I was helping a Rosie the Riveter. Many didn't know what that was. When I took her to her plane, I told the pilots and stewardesses that she was a Rosie The Riveter and the pilot announced it over the intercom. From the ramp I had heard a huge applaud and cheers. It was so cool. I wished I could have seen her face then. Being a veteran, I know how important it is to have good equipment and most was hand made with tender loving care. Too bad we do not have any more team work like this in our country today since everything is made in other countries.

[Capt.Case]

Great topic with very interesting old photos!