Item Description
Original Item: Only One Set Available. This is a rather rare WAVES grouping named to Yeoman 3rd Class Bernadette Patricia Gonsalls. WWII US Navy WAVES items are particularly difficult to come across in recent years due to the small number of women who served in the element. Coming across a uniform set in this kind of condition is another rarity!
Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service “WAVES” was the US Naval Reserve Women’s branch established on July 21, 1942. The branch was established to replace men stationed ashore to provide more sea duty sailors and officers. By the end of 1942, there were 770 WAVES Officers and 3,109 enlisted. In 1945 these numbers had grown to 8,475 officers and 73,816 enlisted. Following the War, many WAVES were demobilized, however the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act in 1948 was signed into law allowing women to serve in the regular Navy. The term WAVES continued in usage for Navy women until the 1970’s. The WAVES uniforms were custom designed by Mainbocher, the famous New York fashion house. The uniforms included a white style uniform, a seersucker version with gray and white stripes, and a blue version.
This lovely set consists of the following:
- Uniform jacket with WAVES collar insignia, no other insignia. The jacket has some light mothing and staining as shown. No nametag.
- Uniform skirt with no name filled out, no insignia.
- Two WAVES Service caps, one named on the interior B.P. GONSALLS, for Bernadette Patricia Gonsalls. Caps are in rough condition with one missing one of the snaps.
- NNC Cap with French flag flash and NNC insignia, for the Navy Nurse Corps.
- WAVES overseas cap named to Kennedy on interior.
- WAVES pinstripe overseas cap, no name.
Only the WAVES Cap is named to Gonsalls, but as the set came together, we are confident that most or all items were used by her.
Bernadette Patricia Gonsalls was born on May 7th, 1912. She enlisted in WAVES on December 3rd, 1942, and appears in several WWII Navy muster rolls as with the Yeoman Naval Training School in Stillwater, Oklahoma. A great opportunity for further research!
This is a lovely grouping worthy of further research! Comes ready to display.
Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 9.5"
Shoulder to sleeve: 22”
Shoulder to shoulder: 14"
Chest width: 17”
Waist: 15.5"
Hip width: 19.5"
Front length: 25.5"
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
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