Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a stellar W.A.V.E.S. grouping named to Mary C. Hibbert. The United States Naval Reserve (Women's Reserve), better known as the W.A.V.E.S. (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), was the women's branch of the United States Naval Reserve during World War II. It was established on July 21, 1942 by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on July 30. This authorized the U.S. Navy to accept women into the Naval Reserve as commissioned officers and at the enlisted level, effective for the duration of the war plus six months. The purpose of the law was to release officers and men for sea duty and replace them with women in shore establishments.
Mary Clara Hibbert was born on June 23rd, 1918, in Medfield, Massachusetts. She attended Medfield High School and Radcliffe College, working as a social worker at Medfield State Hospital for 3 years. Hibbert enlisted in the U.S. Navy on April 16th, 1944. She enrolled in a WAVE officer candidate class at Smith College. She would be assigned to the Women’s Naval Reserve, reaching the rank of lieutenant senior grade. After the war, in 1948, she married John F. Kenny, who also served in the Navy during the war. Hibbert worked as a social worker for many years, passing away on September 3rd, 2000, at the age of 82.
We have provided a photograph of Hibbert from a newspaper article, as well as her obituary.
The grouping includes:
-Hibbert’s WAVES uniform jacket with gold navy buttons, WAVES collar insignia (although one has detached and is pinned on), and Pharmacist medical insignia on each cuff above her rank stripe. There is a WAVES tag on the interior, and a nametag on the collar reading Mary C. Hibbert. The uniform is in fair shape with some condition issues and undone stitching.
-Hibbert’s rare WAVES undershirt, missing one button. There is a size tag marking it as 14. There’s a nametag on the collar reading Mary C. Hibbert. Moderate staining but a VERY difficult uniform piece to find.
-Hibbert’s WAVES hat with the insignia pinned on the front, but the piece of cloth its on is leaning forward, could use a pin to hold it in place. There is a WAVES tag on the interior.
-Hibbert’s uniform skirt, with a WAVES tag and her name tag, reading Mary C. Hibbert.
-Hibbert’s gloves with leather palms both in fantastic condition.
-Hibbert’s WAVES Purse, with a WAVES tag on the interior. One side of the strap has broken off from age and needs to be reattached. Some of the stitching has also come undone. Overall in fair condition.
This is an extremely rare grouping to find in any condition, and could do well with some additional research. Identified WAVES groupings do not come up often, so don’t miss out!
Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 8"
Shoulder to sleeve: 23”
Shoulder to shoulder: 14.5”
Chest width: 17"
Waist width: 15.5"
Hip width: 18"
Front length: 25.5"
The notion of women serving in the Navy was not widely supported in the Congress or by the Navy, even though some of the lawmakers and naval personnel did support the need for uniformed women during World War II. Public Law 689, allowing women to serve in the Navy, was due in large measure to the efforts of the Navy's Women's Advisory Council, Margaret Chung, and Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States.
To be eligible for officer candidate school, women had to be aged 20 to 49 and possess a college degree or have two years of college and two years of equivalent professional or business experience. Volunteers at the enlisted level had to be aged 20 to 35 and possess a high school or a business diploma, or have equivalent experience. The WAVES were primarily white, but 72 African-American women eventually served. The Navy's training of most WAVE officer candidates took place at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts. Specialized training for officers was conducted on several college campuses and naval facilities. Most enlisted members received recruit training at Hunter College, in the Bronx, New York City. After recruit training, some women attended specialized training courses on college campuses and at naval facilities.
The WAVES served at 900 stations in the United States. The territory of Hawaii was the only overseas station where their staff was assigned. Many female officers entered fields previously held by men, such as medicine and engineering. Enlisted women served in jobs from clerical to parachute riggers. Many women experienced workplace hostility from their male counterparts. The Navy's lack of clear-cut policies, early on, was the source of many of the difficulties. The WAVES' peak strength was 86,291 members. Upon demobilization of the officer and enlisted members, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, Fleet Admiral Ernest King, and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz all commended the WAVES for their contributions to the war effort.
- This product is available for international shipping.
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