Laura Bicknell, from Shapleigh, Maine, served with the United States Navy WAVES from 1943-1948 and reenlisted in 1951.
Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries (Repository)
Digitization of this collection is still in progress.
The first part of the album has a number of photos showing women at Hunter College. Enlisted WAVES had been training at several different universities at the outset of the program and Hunter was later chosen as it provided the best facilities to manage such a large number of trainees. Hunter was commissioned February 8, 1943 as “The U.S. Naval Training Center, the Bronx” and became known as the “USS Hunter.” The photos here include portraits and group shots, as well as images of living quarters. At least 120 photos show the women in uniform and at least a dozen show them in mechanic's coveralls. After graduation, Bicknell was an Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class and assigned to the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia. Photographs depict the women playing baseball, doing laundry, posing with planes and more.
Laura Bicknell, from Shapleigh, Maine, enlisted with the United States Navy WAVES on May 18, 1943. Bicknell attended Hunter College for boot camp and was later stationed at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia as an Aviation Machinist's First Mate First Class. Bicknell was discharged in August, 1948 but reenlisted in August 1951 and became a WAVES photographer.
Women's History Military
Navy -- WAVES
World War II era (1940-1946) Post World War II, Korea (1947-1963)
World War, 1939-1945 Korean War, 1950-1953 United States. Navy--Women
Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries
