Dec 16, 2024
“Frolic at the Front”
It’s a festive occasion at the Italian front as the guys and gals drag out a portable phonograph and cut a figurative rug on foreign soil. At left, dancing with Lois Berney of Fallon, Nevada, is PFC Clyde Burgess of Toccoa, Georgia. Dancing at right are Mary Ross Moen of Onawa, Iowa, and Pvt. William Maderra of Rayland, Ohio. The girls are Red Cross workers whose job is to boost the morale of Fifth Army men.
Photo by Bert Brandt, war correspondent for ACME Newspictures, c. 28 November 1943 — © Allison Collection, MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History
#This is too lovely!#Bert Brandt#Second World War#History#American Red Cross Clubmobile Service#Women in wartime#Allison Collection#There are some interesting snippets about the two women in At His Side by George Korson#Mary Ross Moen was secretary to Isador Lubin and Lois Berney was White House secretary to Harry Hopkins#They were two of the first ten Clubmobile girls to be sent to North Africa and met two troop trains a day#They served all through Italy and Lois was actually awarded a citation by the Rangers for serving coffee and doughnuts under shellfire!
