Excerpt from Naugatuck Daily News – Saturday, August 31, 1946
World War II - History Edition

Red Cross Activities Adjusted To War Needs

Over $145,000 Contributed Here For Humanitarian Accomplishments In Borough And On Many War Fronts
Production Group Turned Out Over 9,500 Garments, 700,000 Dressings

In September 1939, the Naugatuck Chapter, American Red Cross, under its war preparation program expanded among its activities the fields of Home Hygiene, Home Nursing and World War Veterans, Civilian Relief, Production, First Aid and Life Saving, and since that period the branch has been an important affiliate in the national Red Cross service.

One of the shining names in Naugatuck history is that of those who had an active part in the war time Red Cross organization, and such names as Beatrice Wallace of Church street, who took part in all the programs was made chairman of the production committee. The committee was later served by Mrs. Edgar Cossette, who continued the work with great devotion.

When war broke out in Europe, we realized the need for a prompt start in Red Cross war work. Equipment was secured and the chapter house on Church street was turned into headquarters for the Production Committee. In 1941 the war Production Committee was started, and under the chairmanship of Mrs. Wallace and later Mrs. Cossette, made garments for servicemen.

Christmas time each year continued the same idea and when Edgar J. Cossette then took over, in October of 1939 the Chapter adopted standards for a large amount of garments for the women and children in foreign countries.

Surgical dressings were also needed and Red Cross volunteers turned out 14,500 bandages during the year 1939–40. In 1940 and 1941 there were 14,061 hours put in and 9,500 garments knitted and sewn. In 1942 came the 700,000 dressings.

As the war entered production emphasis was centered toward soldiers. The need of wound dressings on ships and in the field increased. So great was the demand.

Production headquarters were moved in 1942 from the Chapter House to the YMCA on Division street. In September 1943, in the peak year of war production, 1943–44, 1,891 garments and 74,000 dressings were made. Altogether, women of the Production Corps produced more than 9,500 garments and 709,438 surgical dressings, giving over 75,000 hours of their time from September 1939 to September 1945.

Disaster Committee
As its part in the plans for the defense against enemy action, the Chapter’s Disaster Committee prepared to serve with the Naugatuck Defense Council in the event of a war-caused disaster. Under an agreement with the Defense Council made in July 1942, the Chapter assumed responsibility for training workers in First Aid, Canteen work and as Nurses Aides. Three new committees were organized to carry out these obligations and the First Aid work was expanded.

Through the Nutrition Committee 77 women were trained, 44 of whom became members of the Canteen Corps, trained in the feeding of large numbers of people. Thirty Naugatuck women who had become Nurses Aides after instruction at the Waterbury Hospitals, were formed into 2 corps in readiness for service in town in the event of enemy action. By early 1942, 28 First Aid instructors were teaching 202 civilian defense workers in town. Each underwent a minimum course of instruction, while many more had taken the full twenty-hour course.

37 Shelters
The Chapter also took responsibility for mass care during the emergency period of an enemy action and in preparation for this the Disaster Committee selected 37 shelters, many of which had kitchen units. Arrangements for sleeping accommodations, and the securing of food and clothing in large quantities were made. Equipment for a mobile canteen was purchased, and Mrs. Howard D. Tuttle gave an appropriate car in which this could be moved from place to place.

The Production Corps made pillows and slips and surgical dressings, and Junior Red Cross made baby clothing for the casualty center. The Chapter filled first aid and patrol kit bags with first aid materials. Stretchers and blankets were bought and stored at the casualty center. John H. Schmuck was appointed the Red Cross liaison officer with the Defense Council. Phil Robinson was made chairman of the Disaster Committee in January 1943 following the resignation of George A. Warner. The Chapter stood ready for action with the Naugatuck Defense Council until June 21, 1945, when the office of the National War Council closed, and the Naugatuck War Council disbanded.

Junior Red Cross
The Junior Red Cross took a very active part in the war activities. Under production, the girls made almost 1,000 garments for our service forces and the children in Europe. They made table and floor lamps, standing ash trays, lap boards, checkerboards and many other articles for the comfort of our men in hospitals. Three hundred holiday favors were made and sent to our men overseas. In the house drives in town, they collected about 38 tons of paper, 25 tons of metals, 650 lbs. of fats, 66 bags of milkweed pods, and 120 lbs. of clothing for the children’s crusade in 1944. Their efforts in fund drives produced $97,000 for War Savings Stamps and Bonds, National War Fund, Red Cross Drives, Tuberculosis Seals and the March of Dimes.

During the Victory Book campaign in 1943 the Juniors collected about 300 books. They served as clerical help at the Chapter House during war fund drives, and were of great assistance at blood donations. They also helped at the gas and sugar rationing boards.

With increasing fervor they participated in canning projects for the school cafeteria, and filled educational boxes with school supplies for the children of Europe.

They cultivated victory gardens, and with money received from the sale of the milkweed pods, purchased books which they sent to Naugatuck prisoners of war in Germany. Their interest and energy carried them through all the Chapter’s war work, and their contribution was great.

Home Service
The work that was done for servicemen and veterans has steadily increased during the war years from a peacetime caseload low of 30 a year, to an average caseload of 90 a month at present. The records show that 1639 of our men and their families have come to the Chapter for help with their varied problems. Almost fifteen hundred telegrams have been involved in the work done by Home Service in behalf of servicemen. Civilians with families in belligerent or occupied countries sent and received through the International Red Cross and our Chapter, messages which otherwise could not have gone through. The Home Service staff and its quarters have necessarily been enlarged to take care of the volume of work.

Blood Plasma
When the military called for blood plasma for our armed forces, the Naugatuck Chapter immediately began to recruit donors. On August 1942, the first blood donation was held in town. Until March 29, 1945, 1,899 pints of blood were given by Naugatuck men and women. In February 1945 a “Gallon Club” was formed whose membership included Mrs. Edith Lalor, Robert C. Carter, John H. Schmuck, Ralph Tripp, Joseph Raykewich, George Ellis, Michael Honan, Joseph Choulgian and Malcolm Wilson. At the last donation on March 29, Mrs. Clara Dibble, Norval Thomas, James Heavens, Frank Jones, Irving Johnson, and Thomas Powers became members, all having given eight pints of blood during the three-year program. This service ceased on May 19, 1945.

The Chapter took its responsibility for the recruitment of nurses for the military.

On June 8, 1943, a rally was held in the Tuttle Music Shed at which Miss DeBow of the Waterbury Hospital was the speaker at the invitation of Mrs. Hilding Olson, who was then chairman of the new committee in Nurse Recruitment.

On October 13, 1943, Lt. Radie Poole, A.N.C., spoke to High School Seniors and graduate nurses, and before the showing of the moving picture “So Proudly We Hail,” in an effort to arouse interest not only in enlistment in military service but also in Cadet Nursing, which the government was then urging. Several Naugatuck girls joined the latter service.

Public Health
Public Health nurses worked with the Emergency Infant and Maternity Care program offered by the State to the wives and infants of servicemen. Follow-up of cases of tuberculosis discovered in men who had just been rejected for service because of this discovery, was also made by the nurses.

Home Nursing and Water Safety
Home Nursing and Water Safety programs, considered valuable parts of the war effort, were carried on throughout the period. In view of the enlistments of doctors and nurses in the service it was essential that as many women as possible be prepared to meet simple nursing needs in the home. A total of 611 home nursing certificates were issued between 1941 and 1945. Registered nurses gave their services as instructors voluntarily. Transportation of our troops overseas brought out the fact that training was needed to fit men to care for themselves under hazardous conditions on the high seas and in landing operations. Four men from Naugatuck were sent by the Chapter to National Red Cross Aquatic schools where they were qualified as Water Safety instructors, and later, courses in functional swimming in several different grades were given.

The Volunteer Special Services Corps, namely, Production, Canteen, Nurses’ Aides, Staff Assistance and Home Service, are groups of women who have had training in the respective services and who in turn gave many hours of service to the Chapter.

The Canteen, Nurses’ Aides and Staff Assistance Corps assisted at all blood donations. The canteen workers served coffee and doughnuts each time a group of inducted men left Naugatuck, both for physical examinations and for military service. They also helped war fund efforts by serving at rallies and luncheons, and in March 1944, prepared and served food at a WAC recruitment rally at the Bethany airport.

The Nurses’ Aides gave a total of 2,790 hours of service in the Waterbury Hospitals.

Staff Assistants spent many hours at the Chapter office assisting with all sorts of clerical work which had to do with the war effort.

In 1944, the Red Cross became one of the cooperating agencies of the newly established “Service for Veterans.” Those veterans who were in need of family counseling or home financial problems were referred to the Chapter, where Mrs. Harriet B. Brooks, the Home Service Secretary, gives every assistance possible.

The entire group was responsible for packing and sending Christmas gift boxes to servicemen who were on the high seas on Christmas day, 1945. The Home Service Corps was most recently organized and is a very necessary adjunct to Home Service work, which, although the fighting war is over, still has very much to do. The total hours of service given by these corps from 1942 to 1945 was 79,513.

Leadership
The war work done by the Naugatuck Chapter was under the leadership of Carlisle B. Tuttle, chairman of the Chapter since 1930. John W. Hayes, vice-chairman and Roll Call chairman for many years, was first responsible for raising the money with which the services were made possible. Generous Naugatuck provided $21,571 in the first war fund in 1942. Mr. Hayes then turned his responsibility over to Charles L. Berger who led the three succeeding war fund drives during which the community contributed:

• in 1943, $36,511

• in 1944, $45,042

• and in 1945, $45,252.

A large part of the total of $145,358, was sent to National Red Cross headquarters for use in Field Directors in camps, at home and abroad, in organizing and operating Red Cross clubs and mobile canteens in the combat areas and the many services established for the comfort of our men at war. In February 1944, the Red Cross edition of the Naugatuck News was published with the friendly assistance of Rudolph Hennick and Joseph Donahue. This was one of the most valuable aids in bringing to our warm hearted community, the work of the Red Cross during the war.