My daughter Rianne also became interested in WWII; she got the same ‘fever’.
Summer 2015 she made a trip to America and visited our friends, the Gibbons family in Scotia, NY. Together with Brendan Gibbons she visited a WWII re-enactment event in Reading, PA. Especially for this event we bought her a uniform of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (July 1, 1943 re-named to WAC: Women’s Army Corps).
The collection also contains several items of the WASP Women’s Air Service Pilots. The WASP was originally NOT a military organization.These women were trained to become pilot of all kinds of planes; they had to fly new planes to for instance England or worked as flight instructor at air bases all over America.
On this page you’ll find things of our WAC and WASP collection.
Hand Signed Photo WASP pilot Elaine D Harmon from Baltimore, Maryland (December 26, 1919 – April 21, 2015 – buried at Arlington National Cemetery):
3 Hand Signed Photos WASP pilot Bernice Bee Falk Haydu (born December 15, 1920 in Montclair, New Jersey). She was an engineering test pilot and a utility pilot at Pecos Army Airfield. After the war she was several years president of the Order of Fifinella and Women Military Aviators :
WASP Congressional Gold Medal signing ceremony, 2009; Bernice Falk Haydu is standing in front at the left, next to President Barack ObamaBernice Falk Haydu, June 2014
WAC Named US Army Personal Effects bag, MD bag, Ditty Bag. Name on bag: “Kathleen Connolly”. made by S. Froehlich Co. Inc. :
Personal writings of women of the WASP:
Patch of the WASP (reproduction):
Match box covers of the WAAC (original) :
WW2 WAC ribbons (original):
Sweethearts bracelet (original):
WAC dress uniform 2nd LT (reproduction):
WW2 US original WAC photos (most taken at El Paso, 1944):
WW2 US WAC booklet “Facts you want to know about the WAC” (original):
WW2 US WAC Handbook First Women’s Army Corps Training Center, Fort Des Moines, Iowa; name of original owner of the book on backside of the handbook !! (original) :
WAC items:
Reenactment items Rianne used during the Reading, PA, event 2015:
Boarding Pass for her flight with the B-17 Yankee Lady:
Booklet “WACS in the ARMY” (original):