Category Archives: World War 2

1944 Car Tune-Up

1944May5MilJourA few weeks ago, we showed a snapshot of wartime grocery prices. Today, we show how much it cost to have your auto serviced 75 years ago. This ad appeared in the Milwaukee Journal on May 5, 1944.

Because of gasoline and tire shortages, it’s likely that most cars spent most of the war parked.  But even if they got little mileage, they would need occasional service.  And Sears Roebuck was there to help, with its Milwaukee service stations open until 9:00 every night except Sunday at 1337 W. Forest Home Ave. and 2100 W. North Ave.

A tune-up was $2.39 and included cleaning and inspecting the distributor, testing the coil condenser caps, and checking the spark plug wires for breakdown.  The spark plugs would be cleaned and the gap checked.

In addition, the service included inspection of the fuel pump and adjusting the carburetor.  The battery would be cleaned and refilled, and the generator, fan belt, and radiator would be inspected.

 



1944 Grocery Prices

1944April27MilJourHere’s a snapshot of grocery prices during World War II. This ad for National Tea Food Stores  appeared in the Milwaukee Journal 75 years ago today, April 27, 1944.

Many items were rationed.  For example, the beef and pork indicate how many points were needed, meaning that the shopper would need to redeem a ration coupon.  Other items, such as chicken and fish, are advertised as “no points,” meaning that they were not rationed.



1944 Emergency Supplies for Downed Flyers

1944AprPSSeventy five years ago this month, the April 1944 issue of Popular Science showed this illustration of the survival items that could be dropped to airmen who were forced to make an emergency landing in the Arctic.

For a larger image, click twice on the image above from most browsers.



Signal Corps Recruiting Women, 1944

1944Apr23MilJourSeventy-five years ago today, the April 23, 1944, issue of the Milwaukee Journal carried this article noting that recruiters from the Signal Corps were in Milwaukee looking for women to take jobs in Arlington, Virginia.

It’s likely that the women thus employed were part of the operations of radio station WAR, such as the operator shown below.

 



1944 Kiddie Tractor

1944AprPM1Shown here, from the April 1944 issue of Popular Mechanics, is the son of Robert C. Cross of 507 Main St., Woodland, California. The elder Mr. Cross built the 240 pound Caterpillar-type tractor for the young man, who undoubtedly had lots of fun driving around with the 3/4 horsepower engine.

Steering was accomplished the same way as a full-size tractor, with clutches and brakes on the rear axle controlled by levers. The cab also featured a throttle and choke control, as well as a cut-out switch. Mr. Cross reported that the cost of the tractor was about $125.

The younger Mr. Cross would be in his 80’s today, and since we know that people like to Google their own names, it’s not inconceivable that he is reading this. If you are, we would love to hear from you with your recollections of this most interesting toy.



Milwaukee Radio Listings, April 10, 1944

1944Apr10MilJournal

Here’s what was on the radio 75 years ago today. These listings appeared in the Milwaukee Journal, April 10, 1944 and show programs for April 10 and 11.  (You can click twice on the image above for a larger version.)



Wartime Tube Substitutions

1944AprPMDuring World War II, many radio tubes were unavailable, and the magazines were full of ideas on how to cope. The April 1944 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to make adapters to use similar tubes that might be available, but used different base types.

In particular, the magazine pointed out that loctal tubes were often available. Therefore, the adapter shown here allows a loctal tube to be plugged into a standard octal socket. The bottom half of the adapter was a defunct tube (probably the one being replaced), and the top half was a socket to match the new tube.



Helium, 1919

Screen Shot 2019-03-21 at 9.52.23 AMContrary to your first guess, no, this is not a picture of the Hindenburg.  Instead, the picture appeared on the cover of Popular Science one hundred years ago this month, March 1919, a full 18 years before the Hindenburg’s crash on May 6, 1937.  The picture is actually of an explosion during inflation of an observation balloon at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

The article explained that this scene was a thing of the past thanks to the discovery of the element helium, and its great availability as a byproduct of the decay of radium in Kansas,  Oklahoma, and Texas.  But the article hints at the later disaster by asking how the first world war might have been different if the Germans had helium for their zeppelins.

As we previously wrote, despite the Roosevelt Administration’s eagerness to sell the strategic gas to Germany, Interior Secretary Harold Ickes nixed the idea, keeping helium out of the hands of the Germans.



Live TV Blood Donation: 1944

1944FebMarNRIWe have to admit that today’s vintage TV program isn’t quite as good as the one we shared yesterday, in which a shortwave receiver was built from scratch before live TV cameras. But radio parts were hard to find during the war, so WRGB in Schenectady, NY, had to work with what was available, and that was blood.

The February-March 1944 issue of National Radio News detailed another “first” in American television, namely the first broadcast of an actual blood donation. As part of a three-part broadcast showcasing the American Red Cross, the blood donation was done live on the air. Another part of the broadcast showed it being processed into plasma.

The program concluded with the scene shown above, the staging of a battlefield scene where the plasma was administered.

 



1944 Income Taxes

1944MarRadioMirrorSeventy-five years ago this month, the March 1944 issue of Radio Mirror carried these helpful pointers on filing your income tax return, which was due on March 15.

The magazine noted that some fifty million Americans would need to file, ten million of which would be first-time filers.  Single persons were required to file if their income was over $500 per year.  For married couples, a return was required if either spouse had income of $624, or if their combined income exceeded $1200.

Even though it was new to many people, the government was there to help.  Government men would be sent to many offices and plants to help workers fill out the forms.  Also, volunteer lawyers and accountants would be strategically located at banks, post offices, and schools.  The magazine encouraged seeking out these forms of help, and warned of the perils of talking to other self-styled experts.

According to the magazine, 95% of the income tax went to winning the war.  It also noted that the income tax was an important way to fight inflation, “that enemy within our home-front ranks.”