Below I have listed reference material about the WAVES that might
be useful for all who want to get more information. Many of these sources
I have used for the background information presented on this website. This
list is not meant to be a complete arrangement. I'm still searching for
more and I would be very happy about everyone who can recommend further
interesting material.
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Official Sources
..
 How
to serve your country in the WAVES, NAVPERS -36606-2 July 43 - 500M |
... |
Many different recruiting
brochures were distributed to encourage women to join the WAVES during
WWII.
These official brochures give much information
about purposes of WAVES, requirements for joining, payment etc.
The content of some recruitment brochures
are represented online here:
Women
Veterans Historical Collection |
| . |
|
|
 The
Story of you in Navy Blue, Navy recruitment brochure, 1943. |
|
Extensive official
recruitment brochures with many pictures and detailed information about
purposes of WAVES, requirements for joining, types of duties, payment
etc. |
| . |
|
|
 Enlist
in the WAVES - Serve in the Hospital Corps, U.S. Government Printing
Office: 1943 O-532379 |
|
This brochure tries
to encourage women to "fill a man's job and still do a woman's work". Interesting
details about the history of the Hospital Corps of the Navy, its duties,
required qualifications, basic training, pay and allowances, etc. |
| . |
|
|
 Women's
Reserve Information -Separation Pamphlet, NAVPERS 15023, U.S. Government
Printing Office: 1945 |
|
The separation pamphlet
should assist Women's Reserve personnel in their readjustment to civilian
life. |
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| Uniform Regulations, Women's Reserve, United
States Naval Reserve, 15 October 1943, Navy Department Bureau of Naval
Personnel, Washington D.C., Pers-34-RT |
|
Detailed description of all uniform
items and insignia of the insignia. Even exact measurements of all uniform
attire and prescribed material is listed. Very helpful for reproductions.
Great source for all reenactors. The original text as online source of
the Naval Historical Center:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq59-22.htm |
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|
|
| Establishment of Women's Reserve, Public
Law 689, H.R. 6807, 30 July 1942 [Chapter 538] |
|
The complete text of the public
law that established the Women's Reserve can be found on the "Women of
the WAVES" homepage online:
http://www.womenofthewaves.com/
establishment.html |
| . |
|
|
 Marching
to Victory edited by Lt. Robert G. Andrus and Ensign Ruthanna
Maxwell (1943) |
.. |
This booklet inlcudes
a compilation of popular WAVES songs. These songs expressed the self confidence
of the corps and strengthened the feeling of "togetherness". |
.
Articles, Magazines, Books
.
 Guide
Right - A Handbook for WAVES and SPARS by Mary Vriginia Harris, Lieutenant,
USNR, Macmillan Company (1944) |
... |
This handbook about
etiquette and customs for WAVES and SPARS contains most interesting information
about uniforms (when they should be worn, how they should be stored and
cleaned, etc.), military usage like salutes and military conduct, how to
recognize ranks and ratings and a list of Naval lingo. |
| . |
|
|
 The
Navy Officer's Guide by Arthur A Ageton, Commander , U.S. Navy, Whittlesey
House McGraw-Hill Book Company (1943) |
|
The Naval Officer's
Guide contains all information an officer in the Navy needed to know. For
example, it gives details about correct saluting, discipline, uniforms
and equipment. It lists all items for an initial outfit for female Navy
officers and gives hints about how to care of the uniform. |
| . |
|
|
 While
So Serving by Eleanor Hart and Harriet Welling, Robert W. Kelly Publishing
Corporation (1947) |
|
The book presents many
official U.S. Navy WWII period b&w photographs of WAVES. Nice for studying
uniform details. |
| . |
|
|
 Up
Came A Ripple by Dorothea J Byerly, Greenwood Press Publishing, 1945 |
|
Cartoon about the WAVES. Main character
Ripple caricatures many experiences of the daily life of WAVES. Funny and
interesting to read. |
| . |
|
|
 Ladies
in Uniform
by Margaret Sprague,
Acwell Press (1943) |
. |
A complete guide to
the women's services in the Armed Forces of the United States (WAC, WAFS,
Waves, Marines Reserve, Spars). Detailed information about their purposes,
recruiting requirements, payment, uniforms etc. with the intention to encourage
more women to become ladies in uniform. |
| . |
|
|
 American
Women in Uniform
by Mary Steel Ross,
Garden City Publishing Co.,Inc. (1943) |
|
Description of several
women's wartime organizations (for example Red Cross, AWHRC, AWVS, AER,
USO, and many more) especially their uniforms and insignia. |
| . |
|
|
 Life
Magazine, March 15, 1943 |
|
The article "WAACS
& WAVES" gives some information about the two women's service organizations
illustrated with nice photos (some even colored). |
| . |
|
|
 Sally
Scott of the WAVES by Roy J. Snell, Whitman Publishing Company (1943) |
|
This book of the "Fighters
for Freedom Series" for girls tells the fictional story of WAVE Sally Scott
who experiences big adventures serving overseas aboard a Navy ship on its
trip to England. |
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|
|
 Destination
Unknown by Roy J. Snell, Goldsmith Publishing Company (1944) |
|
Adventurous fictional
story for girls about WAVE Billie Burke |
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|
|
 Angel
of the Navy. The Story of a WAVE by Pharmacist's Mate Joan Angel, USNR,
Hastings House Publishers (1943) |
|
Humorous story about
why a WAVE has signed up, how she is trained, how she lives and what she
does. A "straight -from-the-shoulder, behind-the-scenes" account. |
| . |
|
|
 By
Your Leave, Sir. The Story of a WAVE by Lieutenant (Jg) Helen Hull
Jacobs, U.S.N.R, Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, 1943 |
|
Fictional story about
a girl who joins the WAVE written by a WAVE officer working in the Public
Relations Office of the Naval Reserve Training School in The Bronx, New
York. |
| . |
|
|
| The Waves. The Story of the Girls in Blue by Nancy Wilson Rossby,
Henry Holt Publisher, New York, 1944. |
|
|
.
Movies
.
 Here
come the WAVES directed by Mark Sandrich, Black & White (1944),
Type: Comedy, Musical |
... |
Twin sisters Suzie
and Rosemary (both played by Bettie Hutton) join the WAVES. Suzie is enthusiastic
when she learns that her admired radio crooner Johnny While (played by
Bing Crosby) also had joined the Navy. But Johnny falls in love with her
sister and needs a lot of efforts to win her heart.
Entertaining musical with great songs and
lots of Naval uniforms. |
| . |
|
|
 Skirts
Ahoy directed by Sidney Lanfield, Color (1952),
Type: Comedy, Musical |
. |
Three young ladies
join the WAVES to forget their trouble with men. However, it won't take
long until they fall in love again. Of course, aquatic ballet scenes with
Esther Williams included.
The colored movie from 1952 shows the postwar
WAVES uniforms, but these haven't changed much after the war. |
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History Books
.
 In
Defense of a Nation - Servicewomen in World War II by Major General
Jeanne M. Holm, USAF
(Ret.), Vandamere Press, ISBN 0-918339-43-X (1998) |
... |
This book contains
excellent overviews of several WWII women's organization (like WAVES, SPARS,
WAC, ANC, NNC, WASP, Women Marines) illustrated with nice black and white
photographs. |
| . |
|
|
 Dressed
for Duty. America's Women in Uniform 1898-1973 (Volume Two) by Jill
Halcomb Smith, R. James Bender Publishing, ISBN 0-912138-85-8 (2004) |
|
The two volumes about
women's organizations of the last century cover all military branches and
especially give interesting details about several mostly forgotten civilian
organizations.
They contain many original photographs and
some color pictures of uniform items.
The chapter about the WAVES is
in Volume 2. |
| . |
|
|
 World
War II Allied Women’s Services by Martin Brayley, Osprey Publishing,
ISBN 1-84176-053-06 (2001) |
. |
Short overview about
allied women's services of WWII (from the USA: WAAC/WAC, WAVES, Marines
Reserve, Spars). In addition to black and white photos it contains colored
drawings of different uniforms. |
.
Memoirs and Novels
.
 Navy
Wave: Memories of World War II by Helen Clifford Gunter, Cypress House,
ISBN 1879384167 (1992) |
... |
Lieutenant Clifford Gunter was
one of the first women who joined the WAVES after this branch of the Navy
was established in 1942. The book describes her life in the Navy based
on the letters she wrote while she was in service and the memories these
letters evoked. Her interesting story is illustrated with several black
and white photographs. |
|
|
|
 Mother
Was a Gunner's Mate: World War II in the Waves: World War II in the News
by Josette Dermody Wingo, U.Ss Naval Inst. Press, ISBN-10: 1557509603 (2000) |
. |
In 1944, Wingo joined the Waves,
the special women's branch of the U.S. Navy. She was trained as an anti-aircraft
gunner, and at Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay she was a gunnery
instructor. She and her counterparts not only crossed the military gender
line but also taught men the craft of shooting down enemy planes. This
work is a valuable addition to the literature on WWII and women's studies.
(From Publishers Weekly) |
.
.
 Free
a Man to Fight! Women Soldiers of Word War II by Mindy Pomper &
RYS Productions (1999) |
. |
Excellent video that
features rare archival footage interwoven with intimate interviews of women
who served in the military during WWII. It includes several interviews
with former members of the WAVES.
Unfortuntaley, the documentary contains a
few mistakes. More information about these inaccuracies can be found here |
| . |
. |
. |
 Women
At War - from the home front to the front lines by 'V for Victory',
Atlas Video Inc. (1991) |
. |
This documentary
consists mainly of original newsreel stories to detail the vital contributions
made by women during World War II, going from the factories to the battlefields.
Covers WAC, Army Nurses, WAVES, Marines, Navy Nurses, Cadet Nurses, etc. |
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..
Women of the WAVES
|
... |
Autobiographical Stories, opportunity
to join a forum, current news, many intersting links. |
| . |
|
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Naval Historical Center
|
|
Great internet page with excellent historical
overviews, original documents, oral history stories and pictures. For easier
access here some links related to the WAVES.
World War II era WAVES --
Overview
and Special Image Selection
WAVES
Uniform Regulations, 1943
WAVES
uniform changes, 1945 |
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Women Veterans
Historical Collection
|
. |
The Women Veterans Historical
Collection documents the female experience in the Armed Forces through
letters, papers, photographs, published materials, uniforms, medals and
oral histories. Impressive and most informative website! http://library.uncg.edu/depts/archives/veterans/index.html |
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[
I. Development ]..[
II. Facts about the WAVES ]..[
III. Uniforms ]..[
IV. Sources ]
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