Polk County

 

WAAC to Be Uniformed in Khaki

WASHINGTON, (AP) – Members of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps will be chic in khaki.

The war department has picked the uniforms, and aside from silks and satins, there’s quite a variety of materials.

Skirts will prevail in all cases.

For summer there’s khaki cotton twill and gabardine. For winter there’s olive drab covert cloth.

The hosiery will be cotton and rayon, but no one in the department had a word to say about the under things, either summer or winter.

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The WAAC officer in the wintertime will wear a single-breasted, four-button dark olive drab jacket of covert cloth and a six panel flared skirt of light or dark olive drab. A covert cap will have a semi-still crown, a visor and a cloth chin strap.

Regular army khaki will be the summer color and the uniforms will be of cotton twill and gabardine for the officers and eight-ounce water repellant twill for the ratings, or enlisted personnel.

Each member of the corps also will get a double-breasted overcoat, a utility coat with removable woolen lining, a lightweight raincoat with hood, a shirt with reversible collar and a necktie.

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Mercorized, medium-weight cotton lisle goes into the work hose, while full-fashioned rayon stocks will be in order for dress wear.

Three types of shoes go with the outfits – laced, calfskin oxfords or golden tobacco brown, and athletic laced oxford with white canvassed uppers and black soles, and a capeskin, moccasin type slipper with soft leather sole, for barracks use.

Gloves, handbags and blouses with patch pockets complete the outfit.

Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Saturday, May 23, 1942

Take Tests for WAAC Officers Training
Over 350 Seek Place in WAAC


Application Deadline Was Midnight.

More than 350 applications for enlistment in the officers’ school of the women’s army auxiliary corps had been received at the Des Moines army recruiting office early Thursday evening.

The office planned to accept them up to midnight, and to take any others coming through the mails which were postmarked before midnight June 4 – the deadline for their filing.

Through the evening women continued inquiring at the recruiting office and making out their applications.

After the applications have been checked the accepted applicants will be given mental fitness tests at the federal courthouse, and those passing will be booked for interviews. Those accepted by this interviewing board will be given physical examinations as the next step toward their induction into the select group of 450 officers-in-training of the WAAC.

Source: The Des Moines Morning Register, Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, June 05, 1942 (photo included)

20  WAAC Companies Ready For Regular Duty by Jan. 1

WAACS are shown at the Fort DesMoines clothing supply depot getting their government issue (G.I.) wardrobe.  One of the WAACs told the supply officer in charge:  “This is the most new clothing I’ve ever had at one time.” 

Source: The Des Moines Tribune, July 20, 1942 (photograph included)