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Large Scrapbook/Photo lot from a WWII WAC


CNY Militaria
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CNY Militaria

Here is a nice lot of two scrapbooks my ftaher picked up at an auction for me. One is filled with the nurse's personal photos from her tour of duty in Europe, and the second of related family members letters and related service photos and items.


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The two books.

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A group photo with all the names of everyone written on the back!

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This is a shot of the WAC's! On the back it says that the plane "came really low, flattening a portion of the group"

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Another completely identified unit photo. The back notes that they are about to embark on a 20 mile hike!!

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Closeup of that photo.

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Postcards.

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Her and a friend.

 

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Fellow officers, one is a bird colonel.

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Mountain climbing!

 

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Misc.

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From her second album!

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A relative of hers if I recall correctly.

 

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Unexplained pictures of British flight officers!

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Closeup!

 

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Interesting letter from the postmaster general explaining why women cannot become postal carriers.

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Christmas Cards!

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Another relative from the Navy.

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Not sure if this is a "Gem" here, but a mint condition program from the commissioning of the USS Wasp. Any thoughts on this?

 

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Inside.

 

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Again.

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Cool photo of a friend or relative who is a civilian trainer pilot. Note the insignia!!

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Interesting letter from the postmaster general explaining why women cannot become postal carriers.

 

Now you do realize that's dirty joke of the era :)

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OK I have a clarification question. Are Army Nurses, WACs? I thought there was a difference between the Army Nurse Corps and the WACs.

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Good question...I am not sure of the answer though. I know WACS had their own branch insignia, and nurses wore their own as well, so I don't know if they are technically within the same "branch".

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I am unsure of the exact breakdown as I don't have my notes in front of me but in an interview I did with an army nurse one year ago (she was in from early 1941 until 1945) she made it very clear that she was not a WAC (Womans Army Corps), she was a nurse. In fact she went on to say that she was treated quite well as a nurse by both the military and civilian population, however friends of hers, who were WACs, were treated very badly by both the military and the civilian population. She told me point blank that many civilians thought WAC's were whores which she felt was extremely wrong and unfair. It was an interesting interview and when we got to this part, she came out of her chair and stood pointing her finger at me about an inch from my nose telling me very, VERY sternly just how wrong that was! I never thought an 80 plus year old, 5 foot 2 inch women could scare me but boy was I wrong! I did take her story with a grain of salt until I recently read a memoir of a WAC (I will post the title as soon as I can get to it) who stated that her family viewed her choice to join the WACs as a "bad one." She went on to say that her mother, and other family members, felt the WACs were almost like "comfort women" for the GI's which of course they were not! In fact she was asked tby her family to not wear her uniform while home on leave! I find this interesting as it is not something you read about in everyday accounts of WWII.

 

I should add that the nurse, mentioned above, gave me her uniforms along with her husbands. I will try and post pictures in the next few days.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Oh by the way, great scrapbooks Schottzie! I hope your dad didn't have to wait too long to bid on them. It seems when I go to the auction, the things I want are always the last to go up for bid!

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This is groovy stuff Schottzie, I kinda like that Wasp commissioning booklet.

 

Thought you might like to know that the airplane beatin' up the beach is an FM-2, which was a licensed version of the Grumman F4F Wildcat built by the Eastern Aircraft Division of GM.

 

 

Fade to Black...

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Thanks for the info about the plane!

 

By the way, I have some more Women's service items I will post eventually, to include a KILLER scrapbook/photo album from an 8th AAF Female officer who was a photographer. It has several unit photos, and many aircraft shots!

 

I also have a large paperwork grouping documenting the Navy Intelligence Dept's Cryptology program taught to females by a female instructor.

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Thanks for the info about the plane!

 

By the way, I have some more Women's service items I will post eventually, to include a KILLER scrapbook/photo album from an 8th AAF Female officer who was a photographer. It has several unit photos, and many aircraft shots!

 

I also have a large paperwork grouping documenting the Navy Intelligence Dept's Cryptology program taught to females by a female instructor.

No problemo!

 

Looking forward to seeing that Eighth AF collection, and the cryptology stuff sounds interesting.... that's something I'd like to learn more about, actually.

 

 

Fade to Black...

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