Hilda (Nelson) Kearney scrapbook

Content Description

This collection contains a scrapbook album belonging to Hilda P. (Nelson) Kearney. Nelson served in the women's branch of the United States Naval Reserves (WAVEs) during the Second World War. The album was compiled from 1943 to 1945, documenting Nelson's service from her entry and work at various duty stations, principally Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Washington, D.C., to her discharge. It was in Iowa that Nelson attended WAVEs training before her transfer to Washington, D.C., where she served as a supervisor in the Bureau of Personnel (BuPers). Included in the scrapbook are recruitment letters, application instructions for WAVEs, BuPers broadsides and internal memos, naval publications of the period, Nelson's training certificates, war bond applications, Navy Recreation Association card, American Red Cross card, a Navy patch and pennant, numerous clippings. Nelson's off-duty travels are documented through illustrated postcards of naval and civilian sites, including Annapolis, Baltimore, Florida, and Virginia.

Acquisition Type

Purchase

Provenance

Purchased from Langdon Manor, 13 August 2024.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

No

Access Restrictions

The scrapbook is fragile and brittle and needs to be handled with care.