Work Attire
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Several different indoor uniforms existed for
the various American Red Cross Volunteer Corps. Most of them had a similar
style, but differed in the color of the dress or in the color of the epaulets
and sleeve cuffs. The common style consisted of a one-piece dress that
was buttoned down the front with white buttons, had a belt of self-material
and was equipped with two hip pockets and one breast pocket. The collar
could be worn open or closed.
Usually, a white square patch with the
red cross in the center was sewn on the breast pocket. The volunteer pin
corresponding to the corps of the wearer was fastened at the breast pocket
directly above the square red cross patch, slightly above the breast pocket
or at the neck.
The indoor uniforms were usually worn with
a veil or coif which had a white facing with a small square red cross patch
sewn on its center.
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Canteen Corps Uniform
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Short-Sleeved
Canteen Worker Uniform
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The indoor uniform for canteen workers was medium blue in color
and closed down the front with white buttons.
The white collar, white sleeve cuffs and white epaulets were removable
for separate laundry.
The dress was worn with a matching coif with white coronet. |
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Long-Sleeved
Canteen Worker Uniform
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Hospital and Recreation Corps
Uniform
(Gray Ladies)
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| The indoor uniform of the Hospital and Recreation
Corps was made of gray cotton and was available with short and long sleeves.
The one-piece dress worn during World War II was closed down the front
with white buttons and had a belt of self-material. The white square patch
with the red cross in the center was sewn on the breast pocket.
The white collar, white sleeve cuffs and white
epaulets were removable.
Two slightly different versions of the "gray
ladies" dress existed which varied in the design of the belt and the hip
pockets. Cotton and seersucker were used as material.
The dress was worn with a gray veil or coif
with a white coronet. White low-heeled shoes and white or gray hose completed
the outfit. |
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| Indoor Uniform with
flaps on the hip pockets and a belt with one button. |
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Indoor uniform with patch-style
hip pockets without flaps. Unlike the other version, the belt is closed
with two buttons. |
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Indoor uniform made of gray
seersucker. The seersucker material was chosen because of its comfort and
laundering ease. |
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Nurse's Aides Corps Uniform
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| Unlike the other volunteer corps indoor uniforms, the uniform of
the Nurse's Aides Corps consisted of a blue cotton jumper apron that was
buttoned down the back and had two large patch pockets on the skirt. Underneath
the jumper, a white regulation shirt was worn.
The Red-Cross-Civilian Defense Nurse's Aides patch was sewn two inches
below the shoulder seam of the left sleeve. The Volunteer Nurses' Aide
pin could be fastened at the center front of the jumper at the neckline
or at the neck of the shirt to close the collar.
The uniform was allowed to be worn after the first 34 hours of the
Nurses' Aides course (which lasted a total time of 80 hours) had been completed.
A coif of matching material with a white front was only awarded after
certification. A smaller version of the special Red-Cross-Civilian-Defense
patch was sewn on the center of the coif's white coronet.
White low-heeled shoes and white or natural colored hosiery completed
the outfit.
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Production Corps Uniform
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The white indoor uniform of the production corps was buttoned down
the front with plain white buttons.
The dark blue Production Corps color was worn on the removable shoulder
epaulets and sleeve cuffs.
Additionally, a buttoned down blue seersucker uniform with detachable
dark blue epaulets and sleeve cuffs was introduced during the war. |
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The indoor dresses were worn with a veil or coif. The veil could be
white (like shown in the picture above) or dark blue with a white coronet.
The uniform was worn with white low-heeled shoes and white hose.
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Red Cross Nurse Corps Uniform
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Red Cross Nurses wore a traditional white indoor uniform.
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Instead of the square red cross patch on the breast pocket, the
round Red Cross Nurse patch was sewn on the left sleeve.
The Red Cross Nurse's pin was fastened on the left breast pocket.
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A coif with a small 1 inch square red cross patch sewn on the center
of the coronet was worn with the uniform.
White low-heeled shoes and white hosiery completed the outfit. |
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A dark blue cape with red lining could be worn over the white indoor
uniform.
It was closed with a button at the neck and two further buttons at
the front.
A white framed red cross was sewn on the left side of the cape.
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Staff Assistance Corps Uniform
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The indoor uniform of the Staff Assistance Corps was light yellow
in color.
The removable collar, epaulets and sleeve cuffs were white. The collar
could be worn open or closed at the neck.
The uniform was completed with a light yellow veil or coif with white
coronet, white low-heeled shoes and white hosiery. |
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Picture Courtesy: Anne Hilgers
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Hospital Worker Uniform
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| Women who served as hospital workers with
the Armes Forces received a gray seersucker dress.
It was made of the same material as the Military
Welfare seersucker uniform. The shirt of the one-piece dress was closed
with four buttons and had one breast pocket on the left side.
The skirt was equipped with two patch style
hip pockets. The long sleeves had buttoned cuffs.
The ARC "Military Welfare Service" patch (in
June 1945 replaced by a "Services to the Armed Forces" patch) was sewn
to
the upper left sleeve.
The Red Cross pin was fastened at the left
side of the collar while the ARC initials were placed at the right side. |
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Playsuit
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| A playsuit with detachable skirt was introduced
for all domestic recreation workers and all oversea recreation workers
clearing for tropic regions during the summer of 1944.
The playsuit was available for purchase to
other recreation workers when considered necessary by the field director
in charge of their activities. |
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Field Clothing
Red Cross personnel serving overseas with the Armed Forces often
required special work attire depending on the places of deployment. Like
female members of the military, they had problems being equipped with adequate
clothing. Therefore, they had to improvise in many cases by wearing privately
purchased clothes or male soldier’s field attire. Red Cross personnel were
authorized to be issued with Army clothing and equipment if necessary.
To indicate their status as Red Cross members, wartime photographs
show that the Red Cross patch was sewn on the left sleeve of field coats
and raincoats. On shirts with the collar worn open, the Red Cross
pin was fastened on the left side of the collar and the ARC initials on
the right side.
Red Cross members who have arrived
in Yokohama coming down the gangway of the hospital ship "Marigold",
November 1945.
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The woman in the middle wears
the Military Welfare seersucker uniform while the woman on the left wears
a khaki shirt with matching slacks. The slacks have the same design as
the Army women's cotton khaki slacks.
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All women have the Red Cross
pin fastened on the left collar (and probably the ARC insignia on the right
side - but this cannot be confirmed in this photograph). |
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(Courtesy Laura Sutton)
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More pictures of several Red Cross members who served overseas as
well as very interesting oral histories can be found online at the Women
Veterans Historical Collection.
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