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Widdicombe, Evelyn (audio interview #2 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - Widdicombe was interviewed in her home, sitting at her kitchen table, which was used at other times as a desk and study area. At the time of the interview, she was enrolled in several courses at CSULB. Although she was quite comfortable with the interview process, her participation in a women's oral history seminar at the time of the interview made her an observer of the interview process, as well as a participant. There are some problems with the audio quality on side c and e. 2/21/1980
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- 2021-04-30
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- SUBJECT BIO - Evelyn (Casola) Widdicombe went to work at Lockheed, following her Navy husband's death at Pearl Harbor. Born in Canada in 1913 to US citizens, Widdicombe was raised in Tacoma, Washington. After high school, she worked as a live-in domestic briefly, and then went to live with her aunt in a rural community, earning money working on the farm. She married in 1938 while her husband was still in the Navy. Times were still bad when his hitch was over, and after three months, he re-enlisted. Initially they lived in a small apartment in Long Beach, but when Navy Housing opened a project in Long Beach, she immediately rented an apartment. That is where she was living when Pearl Harbor was bombed. Shortly afterwards, the Navy chaplain assisted in recruiting some of the "Pearl Harbor widows" to work in the Lockheed Aircraft plant in Maywood. She worked there eighteen months, first as an assembler and then as a clerical worker, before taking a job at the Navy Shipyard in Long Beach. She remarried after the war, and continued to live in Navy Housing with her new husband, and began to work in the office there. After Widdicombe and her second husband bought a home in one of the new housing tracts in Long Beach, she became a full-time homemaker. One year later, in 1950, she began working in the Fleet Support Office at the Navy Shipyard, where she remained until her retirement in 1973. Widdicombe was interviewed in the tract home in which she lived since the 1950s. Since her divorce in 1956, she lived their alone. She was among the first women interviewed for the RRR project, shortly after she enrolled in the project director's women's oral history seminar. Her involvement in the class made her an observer of the interview process, at the same time she was the narrator. As a result, it made the interviewer somewhat self conscious about her role. TOPICS - housing; living arrangements; Navy Housing; husband; Pearl Harbor; employment opportunities - Lockheed; and application process;first day of work; transportation; gender relations; work clothing; sexism; job responsibilities and skills; restroom facilities; work breaks; wages; plant environment; and patriotism;riveting work; working conditions; plant conditions; effects of work on her life; wages; work at Long Beach Naval Ship Yard; production pace at Lockheed; breaks; and gender relations; The audio quality towards theunion; first aid services; Woman Counselor (coordinator); Maywood plant; work clothing; work conditions; social activities; economic status; family history; Long Beach Naval Ship Yard; and husband;husband; friends; work at Long Beach Naval Ship Yard; D-day; patriotism; and reflections on the impact of her work at Lockheed; The audio quality of this interview is fair;
- *** File: rrrewiddicombe5.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-8:36)... Widdicombe moved into Navy housing in the early months of 1941. At that time, her husband was stationed in Pearl Harbor on the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma. He had no idea of her move, and when he returned from overseas he was upset that she had made the move without his approval. And although he was even more put off by the fact that she purchased all of their furniture on credit, he eventually accepted the situation and was very happy with his new home. He was home for about three months before being shipped back to Pearl Harbor in June 1941. Widdicombe made plans to visit him in the latter part of December or early part of January. (She recounts the time she visited her husband in Victoria, British Columbia, a few days after the British declared war on Germany in 1939.) (8:36-14:18)... Even though many people did not foresee a Japanese attack, her husband mentioned in his letters that the US placed too much trust in the Japanese and that he "would not be surprised if something happened." She was not worried about an impending conflict with the Japanese and believed that nothing they did would ever compromise the strength of the Navy. When she learned that Pearl Harbor was attacked, she reacted with disbelief and shock. She tried to maintain a positive attitude and hoped that her husband had been ashore at the time of the attack. Twenty minutes later, trucks drove through the complex sounding their horns and directing all men to report to base. "Husbands were running out of their back doors with jackets over their shoulders and some of them never came back." Almost immediately, radio broadcasts and newspapers reported details of the attack, at which time she learned that the U.S.S. Oklahoma, her husband's ship, had capsized "eight minutes into the attack and the U.S.S. Arizona was sunk." It was estimated that 325 women out of the 400 families residing in her Navy housing complex would lose their husbands. One woman claimed that she would kill herself and her children if anything happened to her husband, but "her husband came back and [for] so many of us, they didn't." (14:18-21:31)... The women who lived with Widdicombe in Navy housing bonded together in their grief over the loss or anticipated loss of their husbands. Women also went to the chaplain for guidance and prayer. Overall, there were about fifty women in Navy housing who lost their husbands. On December 21, 1941, a telegram bearing a gold star was hand delivered to Widdicombe which informed her that her husband was missing in action. In the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy Relief Society provided financial assistance to military wives. The housing project suspended rent payments and the stores in Long Beach ceased collecting credit payments until women recovered from their loss and regained a financial foothold. Shortly after the war began, Widdicombe heard about a defense plant in Long Beach hiring women as riveters. (21:31-27:54)... Word that Lockheed was offering jobs to women spread through Navy housing like wildfire. They received this information from either the chaplain, the Navy Housing Office, or via mail. Widdicombe recalls that the Los Angeles Times, the Press Telegram, and Life publicized the fact that women were moving into defense work. Defense work appealed to Widdicombe because of the additional income and as a way to keep herself busy. She filled out an application at the Navy Housing Office and then a group of women were transported to the Lockheed headquarters in Burbank, where they were tested on their manual dexterity. Widdicombe started working at the Lockheed plant in Maywood at the end of January. She received her first paycheck on February 13, 1942, the same day she received a telegram stating that her husband was dead. End of tape. *** File: rrrewiddicombe6.mp3 (0:00-2:02)... The main motivation for Navy wives to go to work at Lockheed was to keep themselves busy while waiting to hear whether or not their husbands were killed at Pearl Harbor. They also were attracted to the work because of the money. Widdicombe believes that the starting wage at Lockheed was .95 cents an hour. Mothers sent their children to the children's nursery located in Navy Housing when they went to work. It was possible that companies like Lockheed hired military wives as a promotional gimmick. However, Widdicombe also believes that hiring women was an experiment in order to see "how women would adapt to defense work" in anticipation of personnel shortages. (2:02-4:57)... Widdicombe knew that she would be doing riveting work before she started at Lockheed. She was expected to wear a hair net, pants, and sensible shoes to work. She carpooled to work with women who lived in navy housing. When they arrived at the plant, "it was a brand new ball game for everyone of us." A male employee showed them where the time clocks were and assigned them to a department, at which time they met their lead man. The male employees "were very curious about us and they were in a state of mild shock themselves that women would be working with them." (4:57-7:04)... A coordinator by the name of Rose worked as a liaison on behalf of the women employees. She was instrumental in making sure that Widdicombe's request for a car was approved after it was initially rejected by the company on the basis that women's work at the plant "was not considered essential to the industry." (7:04-10:30)... She worked the day shift for the first six months at Lockheed and was then assigned to the swing shift , 4 p.m. until midnight. She also worked the graveyard shift (11p.m. until 7:00 a.m.) for six months. It was difficult to adjust her sleep patterns to this new schedule, and it was also difficult to drive to work in the evenings because the route along the ocean was virtually blacked out during the war. While on graveyard, Widdicombe was transferred to the office and dispensed rationing books to Lockheed employees. Whenever employees left the company, they voluntarily returned their unused ration coupons to the office - something she considered a great display of patriotism and support for the armed forces. (10:30-14:40)... Widdicombe was one among a small group of women first hired at Lockheed. Rose, the woman coordinator, was already there when the women began working at the plant. The first day on the job they were greeted by a male employee who assigned each woman to a specific section in the plant. Widdicombe reported to her section with three other women, all of whom were trained by a leadman on how to operate a riveting gun. They practiced on a piece of metal before completing work on the wing section of P41 aircraft. Women were received by the men employees with curiosity, not hostility. Widdicombe got the distinct impression that they did not believe women would make it in production. There were separate bathroom facilities for men and women. The women's restroom was equipped with couches in case they wanted to rest during their breaks. During lunch, women congregated together and did not eat with their male coworkers. (14:41-17:00)... The plant was a cold and "barn like" facility, the doors were always open allowing the outside air to penetrate the plant, regardless of the temperature. Her work was very absorbing and she felt as if her life was undergoing a dramatic change. Her leadman was a nice person who was sympathetic to the ordeal facing military wives. He was rare compared to what she heard from other women about their leadman; however, some women could not accept taking orders from men as easily as Widdicombe could. (17:00-17:55)... Widdicombe could easily handle the rivet gun with one hand while operating the controls with the other. She had to wear goggles while using the rivet gun, and was also expected to wear her hair back. She found her work to be both interesting and profitable. She believes that women employed in defense thought their work was fulfilling because "we were helping in the war effort...[and] doing something that had some value for our country." End of tape. *** File: rrrewiddicombe7.mp3 (0:00-2:12)... Widdicombe received on-the-job training from her leadman. When she first started riveting, her work was frequently checked in order to determine if she was completing the job satisfactorily. She eventually became efficient in her work and found it to be relatively easy. She did not work with a partner (bucker) while riveting. She was assigned to rivet different parts of an aircraft, including the wing section, depending on what stage of production the airplane was in. (2:12-4:08)... She occupied a large work area to herself and her coworkers were a certain distance away from her work space. Her memory of the plant is of a large, open, and cold building with florescent lights. There were constant flashes of light from the welding and riveting taking place in the department. Even though her work was not physically difficult, she was often in strange positions or bent over while riveting. (4:08-5:28)... Her leadman supervised all of the employees in a specific area of production. There were only three women, including Widdicombe, working under his supervision. Widdicombe felt insecure about her job performance when she first started riveting. It was important that she prove to herself and others that she could do the work. It also was imperative that she succeed because she needed the money. When she became proficient at her work, she was able to pay more attention to her work environment and get acquainted with her female coworkers. (5:28-11:36)... There were cliques among the female employees and everyone had "special girlfriends" with whom they ate lunch. During breaks some women complained about the burdens of work and motherhood. Widdicombe, on the other hand, felt that "It was a time that I explored my feelings and I experienced an independence that I never dreamed was possible." She knew that her job at Lockheed would not turn into a career and began to think about earning an income, possibly pursuing a career in Civil Service. When jobs opened up for women at the Long Beach Naval Ship Yard (LBNS), she applied. A job in the shipyard was appealing both because it was a Civil Service position and it was located closer to her home. She transferred to the shipyard after working at Lockheed for eighteen months. (11:36-15:17)... Widdicombe's starting wage at Lockheed was .95 cents per hour. She believes that employees received a raise every six months. Her wages increased when she switched from the day to the swing shift. She doesn't believe that the company offered promotions, but woman coordinator at Lockheed managed to get Widdicombe transferred to an office position. When she made the transition from production work to the office she began working the graveyard shift and she received a pay raise. (15:17-18:19)... Note: an airplane flying overhead briefly drowns out the conversation in this segment. Lockheed occasionally conducted time and motion studies, and employees were informed of these in advance. She does not know if people intentionally slowed their production pace during the study. She occasionally got bored with the repetitive nature of her work. (18:19-20:00)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor. Widdicombe described plant conditions, especially the lighting and the noise. (20:00-20:57)... The audio quality in this segment is poor. Employees were not allowed to walk around and talk to each other during production hours. There were production deadlines that people were expected to fulfill on a daily basis. (20:57-22:54)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor. Widdicombe does not remember whether men and women flirted while on the job. She was too busy working to notice if a man was interested in her. She conducted herself in a business-like manner around her coworkers. (22:54-24:52)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor. Widdicombe details the work force demographics at the Maywood plant; however, it is difficult to understand the conversation because of the poor audio quality. (24:52-27:15)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor. Employees purchased their food from trucks located outside the Lockheed plant. They ate lunch outside in an area that was equipped with tables and chairs. Widdicombe does not know why there were no eating facilities in the plant except for the possibility of minimizing sabotage to production equipment. The company knew where employees were at all times whether it be in the restroom, working at their stations, or taking breaks outside. (27:15-29:59)... Note: the audio quality in this segment is poor and it is difficult to hear the conversation. End of tape. *** File: rrrewiddicombe8.mp3 (0:00-1:41)... Widdicombe does not recall Lockheed holding any patriotic rallies at the Maywood plant. The plant was small and only responsible for producing certain pieces of the P41, such as the wing section or the cockpit, not the entire airplane. The only time she saw a P41 fully constructed was when they were showcased in newsreels. It filled her with pride knowing that she helped produce the aircraft for the war effort. (1:41-2:22)... The plant was equipped with a nurse and a first aid station in case of injuries. Widdicombe visited the nurse on one occasion when she injured her fingers. Employees were closely supervised in order to maintain a good safety record and high production standards. (2:22-4:07)... When Widdicombe and the other women started working at Lockheed, they were introduced to Rose, a coordinator for women employees. Rose was an assertive woman and informed the women that if they ever needed anything they could come to her for assistance. Besides assisting the women workers and serving on the board of the credit union, Widdicombe was unaware of Rose's other duties. (4:07-8:47)... There were no company services or social clubs available to employees working at the Maywood plant. The plant was a small, satellite location of Lockheed and did not provide any employee benefits other than what was offered by the union. About six months after Widdicombe was hired at Lockheed, Rose and a union representative of the main plant held a meeting with the women workers to introduce them to the union. Widdicombe joined a few months after this meeting. She felt that joining was the "political" thing to do at the time. (8:47-13:07)... Widdicombe details what a typical day was like when she was employed at Lockheed. Employees entered through a gate that was manned by guards. Each employee was required to wear a badge with photo identification. Their work attire consisted of hard-toed shoes, pants, and a shirt. Women were required to wear their hair tied back. Employees received a break in the morning, a thirty-minute lunch break, and another break in the afternoon. Widdicombe worked Monday through Saturday. She was not tired after finishing her work day. (13:07-17:06)... Widdicombe's family loved and admired her husband Maxie. Her nineteen-year-old brother enlisted in the military the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked. Widdicombe digresses regarding her husband's family history as well as her own. (17:06-19:15)... Other than occasionally visiting with women who lived in Navy Housing, Widdicombe engaged in very few social activities during the war because of her busy work schedule. Prior to the war, her activities involved keeping a diary, maintaining her household, visiting with other Navy wives, and shopping. At the time, her energy revolved around getting use to being a Navy wife and living in a new city. (19:15-22:02)... She and her husband were relatively poor when they married. However, her economic status was far better than what it was when she was with her family in Washington. She and her husband always had enough money to pay for their necessary living expenses, but nothing extra. When she started earning money at Lockheed she began purchasing luxury items for the first time in her life. (22:02-26:29)... Widdicombe was working in an office at Lockheed distributing C rations when she heard that jobs were available for women at the Long Beach Navy Shipyard. A job there appealed to her because the shipyard was near her home and it was an opportunity for her to work in Civil Service. She was hired to do clerical work in the Riggers Department. She digresses into a discussion of her husband's practice of finding projects for her to do while he was away at sea, including arranging for her to take courses at a business school in downtown Long Beach. His idea was to keep her busy so that she wouldn't get involved with the wrong element, as other Navy wives did. Her husband was very generous and often gave her jewelry and flowers on special occasions. End of tape. *** File: rrrewiddicombe9.mp3 (0:00-6:35)... Widdicombe continues to discuss her husband's personality. In some ways, she changed her personality and appearance in order to please her husband. However, he did not inhibit her from anything and encouraged her to learn new skills so that she would not get mixed up with the wrong type of Navy women. When she finished business school she felt she had sufficient clerical skills to work in an office environment. She lived with her friend, Carmelita, in a small apartment on the west side of Long Beach while their husbands were overseas. (6:35-9:48)... When Widdicombe transferred from Lockheed into the shipyards, she was placed in a clerical position in the Rigging Department. She had to wear pants to work and was paid the same wage as women employed in production. For this, she was not well liked by the other women. However, she enjoyed office work and it was a "step up" from production. She describes the shipyards as a hectic environment. Occasionally, she was able to see the battle wounds of the war when crippled ships docked. The shipyards employed thousands of people and there was always heavy traffic going to and from Long Beach to Terminal Island. (9:48-11:50)... She began working at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in June 1943 and left in June 1945, at which time she was transferred to the Navy Housing Office. This was another step up and she was able to dress in office attire for the first time. Her responsibilities included collecting rent, interviewing prospective tenants, and determining housing eligibility. (11:50-13:57)... Widdicombe recalls an incident that occurred on V-J Day when she unintentionally angered a sailor living in Navy Housing while watching a Boy Scout parade outside her home. Needless to say, V-J Day was not a very pleasant experience for her. (13:57-16:51)... Widdicombe did not think about whether or not her position at Lockheed would be temporary. However, she knew that she did not want to stay at Lockheed forever. She wanted a job to aid the war effort and she enjoyed being in an environment with other women. Patriotism in Long Beach was very strong. People could actually see ships that had been at war docking in the harbor and there was a constant flow of sailors taking their leave in the city. Widdicombe never really made a conscious decision to move from one job to another; things just happened for her and she went with the flow. End of tape.
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