Work Uniform
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The ward or indoor work uniform consisted
of a white hospital dress, the white nurse’s cap, white stockings and white
oxford shoes with rubber soles.
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Hospital Dress
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The hospital dress made of starched cotton
twill was closed by detachable white pearl buttons. It was worn with a
detachable belt of the same material. The dress had a small breast patch
pocket on the left side and a big patch pocket on the right side of the
skirt. The cuffs were closed with cuff links. A pair of big Navy
Nurse Corps insignia were worn on the collar.
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Close-up of Collar
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Later, in the spring of 1944, the NNC insignia
were replaced by a miniature pin-on rank insignia worn on the right collar
side and the new miniature corps insignia (without the NNC letters) worn
on the left. Additionally, in May 1944, the white stockings were replaced
by beige stockings.
Hospital Dress
(Revised Version)
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These pictures show a later variant
of the hospital dress introduced in May 1944. The collar lapels are slightly
different. The skirt has three more buttons than the previous version and
can be opened nearly over the whole skirt length.
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Slate Gray Dress
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A slate gray dress was authorized in May 1944.
It was worn as a work attire equivalent to the male khaki uniform. Additionally,
the uniform could be worn in lieu of the service dress white at informal
occasions.
The one-piece dress was made of a slate gray
plain weave cotton, rayon, or tropical worsted fabric. It had a double
breasted shirt with a small breast pocket on the left side, a detachable
matching cloth belt and a six-gore skirt with front kick pleat. 4 blue-black
embossed plastic Navy regulation buttons were worn on the front of the
shirt and 2 buttons on the belt. The long sleeves were closed with two
smaller Navy plastic buttons on the cuff.
A miniature pin-on rank was worn on the right
collar and the miniature NNC insignia on the left. |
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As headgear a matching slate gray garrison
cap or the service cap with slate gray cover was worn. Black pumps, black
handbag, grey gloves and beige stockings completed the outfit.
The production of the dress was discontinued
in October 1946, but remaining stocks could be worn until October 1948. |
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Slate Gray Garrison Cap
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Gray Working Uniform
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| Due to the extreme difficulties of laundering
and preserving the appearance of the white hospital dress in the Pacific
Theater of Operations, Navy Nurses were authorized to wear the gray and
white striped WAVES seersucker dress in August 1944. It was prescribed
to wear the dress without tie, and open at the neck.
The miniature NNC device was pinned on the
left side of the collar and the miniature pin-on rank and the right side.
The outfit was worn with beige hose and black shoes.
After the war, in 1946, new changes in the
regulation allowed to wear the matching WAVES gray seersucker coat and
garrison cap with this outfit. Additionaly, the black WAVES tie was prescribed
to be worn now as well (but could be omitted only within station limits
and only when the coat was removed).
The gray seersucker coat was worn with navy
blue service stripes designating the rank of the wearer and a navy blue
embroidered NNC device above the braids. Ribbons and aviation insignia
could be worn on the coat and dress (when the coat was removed). Black
gloves, the WAVES' black leather handbag or the Nurses' cordé purse
were optional items.
(A picture of the gray working uniform coat
can be found under the WAVES section here) |
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.Sweater
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For extra warmth, a black sweater could be
worn over the indoor uniform.
The sweater was eqipped with a button closure
at the front and two patch pockets with buttoned pocket flaps. |
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Capes
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The NNC cape was made of dark blue wool with
a high-standing velvet collar. The collar closed with hooks and eyes and
a set of black frogs closed the cape over the bust. The lining was
in maroon color.
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| The photo on the right side shows a different
style of cape used by Navy Nurses. The coat belonged to Navy Nurse
Lois M. Stumpp. It is made of gray wool with a red lining. The cape is
closed with a button under the collar and two buttoned tabs.
(A photo example of a Navy Nurse
wearing this kind of cape in 1941 can be found in the book "Dressed for
Duty, Volume 1" by Jill Hallcomb Smith, p.410) |
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Navy Nurse’s Non-Regulation
Attire
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The Navy did not provide nurses with their
own distinctive female field uniforms during the war. It was unforeseen
that Navy Nurses would work in overseas conditions requiring clothing with
more freedom of movement and field protection than ordinary ward dresses.
However, naval fleet or mobile hospital facilities were provided with only
medical essentials and imposed sparse working conditions without extra
water or equipment for laundry tasks. Therefore, the white nurse “work”
dresses were often impractical in cases of forward deployment.
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This Navy Nurse caring for a native
patient in a base hospital on New Guinea wears khaki trousers on account
of the mud. |
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Improvisation was necessary. Therefore, some
Navy Nurses wore privately purchased clothing (for example, commercially
available slacks) as a substitute measure. In addition, the nurses were
soon authorized to wear male uniform khaki clothing because of its availability.
This also provided better protection from sun and insects, and stayed cleaner
looking longer than standard-issue ward dresses.
This solution stemmed from necessity and the
abundant stocks of military khaki clothing on hand. For example,
in the Pacific theater Navy nurses wore khaki trousers, shirts and garrison
caps as well as men’s coveralls, raincoats and field shoes. |
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In addition to military khaki clothes, white shirts
with blue slacks were another combination worn by Navy Nurses instead of
their ward dress. (The wear of navy blue WAVES slacks was officially authorized
in 1946.)
| Wartime pictures also show Navy Nurses wearing
the Army Nurse’s hospital uniform consisting of brown white striped seersucker
slacks with matching shirt.
A color photograph can be found under Army
Nurse Corps / Work Attire
Outfits with trousers were more practical than
ward dresses for Navy nurses assigned to hospital ships, where the nurses
had to climb ship ladders and to attend the wounded as they arrived on
deck or were placed in upper bunks. |
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These USHS Solace Navy
Nurses wear Army Nurse's brown and white striped seersucker uniforms in
1945.
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In the movie "They Were Expendable" from 1945,
a Navy Nurse is depicted wearing a black baseball cap with her work attire.
While incorrect for the movie setting of 1941-42 Philippines (where nurses
would have worn authorized prewar uniforms and baseball caps were never
worn), the film may have reflected 1945 field practices.
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Donna Reed as Navy Nurse in
the movie "They Were Expendable"
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It seems that all-wool, black baseball caps
were popular with Navy Nurses during the latter stages of World War II.
These were worn with khaki shirts and trousers, flight suits or HBT coveralls.
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| The black wool baseball caps for Navy Nurses
probably resulted from their use by US Navy and Marine aviators, who first
received the baseball caps from stateside professional baseball players
as a morale booster.
The aviators then unofficially adopted baseball-style
caps as a standard part of their gear. Afterwards, flyers trying to impress
pretty Navy Nurses began to supply them with the latest in spiffy new trends!
That might be how the Navy Nurses came to wear the baseball caps.
Over the years the wear of baseball caps was
accepted, and they are now a common part of current U.S. Navy working headgear. |
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Two Navy Nurses on Ulithe Atoll
with the black wool baseball caps in their hands. On Ulithe Atoll
in the Pacific was a big Navy advance fleet base conquered by American
forces in September 1944. |
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Nurses in Alaska wore winter-proof parkas
and four-clasp galoshes.
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Navy Nurses wearing "Arctic fashion"
on Adak (Alaska).
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Many thanks to Roger "Doc" Dean for providing
some interesting details about non-regulation outfits of Navy Nurses..
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[ I. Development ]..[
II. Facts about the NNC ]..[
III. Uniforms ]..[
IV. Sources
]
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