I often wondered what the strange item was that on display near my future father-in-law’s chair was, so one day I just had to ask. He said is was a bomb nose fuse that Heywood-Wakefield made during the war in the Gardner, MA factory. Artifacts from the WWII homefront production effort are small, but they are around us and tell a story if you look for them.
Heywood-Wakefield, a company best known for their midcentury hardwood furniture, made other war related items. To read about those and a bit about the company’s willingness to contribute to the war effort, see irisabbey’s blog post about Heywood-Wakefield and WWII. Just scroll down to that chapter heading to read it.
We now own the bomb nose fuse item, pictured below, which sits in a wood base with the Heywood-Wakefield logo on it.
Another local WWII homefront production work item I have is the 1940s photo ID of an employee of Greenfield Tap and Die company a short drive away from our house in the Connecticut River Valley. What they produced was crucial to so many other parts of war production their factory was under the protection of anti aircraft guns around the clock. Security was maintained in part by photo ID badges such as this one.
On the West Coast and also among the many divisions of General Motors throughout the country, factories were retooling for the war effort. This tank charm was given as a memento for War Production at GM’s So. Cal. Div. in 1943 and was no doubt worn with pride. This item was sold by Flying Tiger Antiques.
Even further west, the men and women who worked at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard were repairing and doing the work to keep the Pacific Fleet “Fit To Fight.” In recognition of their WWII homefront production efforts, the Industrial Department designed and made pins and pendants for all of the men and women of the PHNY to remember their vital war work. Their bulletin also stated that all babies born to parents in the PHNY would receive a presentation spoon as well.
The most amazing part of my post is that it starts and ends in Gardner, MA. The pendant was in the estate of a man who was a civilian employee (he might have been a plumber or electrician) who elected to travel to Hawaii to give his skills in the war effort at the PHNY and brought back both items.
Please speak to members of the Greatest Generation to see how they helped the war effort however humble or heroic, while there is sadly little time left. Record them and save their words for the next generation. In my eyes, they are all heroes! Please share with us if your parents or grandparents contributions in factories or in their homes, communities or gardens toward the war efforts. We at Vintage Unscripted would love that.
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2 comments
What a great post, Mary Ellen. Your Heywood Wakefield souvenir is an extra-special one. My dad enlisted at the age of 17 with the blessing of his folks. Fortunately, he survived the war in the Pacific and went on to serve his country in the Air Force for thirty years. A few months after she graduated from high school, my mom boarded a train in Sioux Falls, SD on her way to a job in Washington DC. She worked as a secretary for the Dept. of Defense until the war ended. I add their stories to yours as proof that really WAS the greatest generation.
Great post Mary Ellen. When my mom moved to Los Angeles as a young woman she got a job selling tickets to soldiers heading overseas at Union Station in Downtown. She stayed with the railroad for 48 years. s for the So Cal GM plant, it was down the street from where I used to work. It’s where Camaro’s were made. Sadly it was torn down to the distress of many and is now a shopping center.