Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-11-19
WACS Sail for
England
Rx Dnris Eiooson
(WNU Feature-Through special arrangement
with Woman's Home Companion.)
BY Doris FieesOn

with Wonan's Home ConpanIon.)
There were $50 American girls in
the First WAC Separate Battalion
with whom I sailed to Europe. AS
we boarded the transport, each girl
wore tin helmet, dress uniform,
utility coat, pistol belt with first-ald
packet and canteen, shoulder bag,
mask. Shoulders bent under the
heavy musette-but hours OF hlk-
ing had enured the girls to this bur-
den.
Each WAC carried over her arm
heavy topcoat, hiding within its
folds heaven knows what of last-min-
ute impediments.
Forward march," Capt. Mary
A. Hallaren, commanding the bat
talon, barked from the dock as she
set off at the head of the column,
carrying her full pack as easily as
anyone in the ranks. WACs are on
the average huskier than American
girls used to be, but for leader
they have gone back to the Napo-
leonic tradition.
Once I asked Captain Hallaren her
height. Her demure answer was:
You must be five feet to be WAC"
Her troops call her Captain Peewee
or Captain Five-by-Five. 1t has been
suggested that Captain Hallaren's
small size disarms men, helps her
to get along with them so we'll.
Though small myself, I've never
noticed it makes any difference.
Precise Rhythm.
The troops backs looked grim as
they swung along in precise soldier
ly rhythm that makes all men Of
ficers jealous.
Captain Hallaren never doubted
that her troops would stand the test
of the ocean voyage with its close
quarters and possible hazard. Since
March, she had been commanding
her battalion, preparing it for its
task. The troops gave her shil-
lelagh to celebrate her appointment.
Her five companies were formed
in obedience to a request for clerks,
stenogr aphers and telephone oper-
ators to serve with the air force. The
average age of the auXlliaries is
about Is. They are pretty, homely,
fat, slim, blonde, brunette, Protes-
tant, Catholic, Jewish-a cross Sec
ton of America. Nearly all are high
school graduates, few are college
graduates. The officers are drawn
chiefly from colleges and the aver
age age is 80.
Captain Hallaren is SO, comes
from Lowell, Mass, and is a gradu
ate of Massachusetts State Teachers
college. She also studied at Har-
ward university. The fact that she
had Travelled for Is summers in
Europe, Latin America and the Near
East-often with pack on her back
was a help, she thinks, in prepar-
ing her for the job with the WACs.
Sunday services aboard ship were
well attended by the WACs. Officers
who censored their mail reported
that the girls wrote their families
that the services seemed like link
with home.
1t was strange to realize that this
transport of good-tempered friendly
people was actually a task force and
as such a rich prize inviting to the
enemy; that the sea was the haunt
of killers who would destroy us in
stinctively as wolves tear dogs in
the forest.
The transport was crowded to a
point that no self-respecting sardine
would tolerate. Each voyage is such
tremendous enterprise, so eXpen-
sive to arrange, that it must pay off
in manpower. Eighteen WACs slept
in one cabin.
The approach of debarkation time
was easy to recognize. An attrac-
tive young American, Captain Sher-
man, came aboard ship to welcome
us with good news from Sicily, and
gave us the first of the security lee
lures that began to lombard our
ears with increasing frequency.
Step on British Soil.
The sun was in their faces when
the WACs first stepped on British
soil. The honor of being the very
first went to Sergeant Rosekrans.
In the train shed the Royal Scots
Fusiliers band struck up Sousa's
king Cotton march. Then once
again we were Oh troop tTdln
The train moved and the WACs
sped through pleasant green coun-
tryside that may long be their home.
After the train journey of several
hours was over, the WACs Shout
dered their muscttes and marched
two miles to a replacement depot.
A cheerful Baptist chaplain, c. G.
Strippy of Wollaston, Mass, gave
the girls their favorite hands-across-
the-sea story. He told them about
the recently arrived private, dizzy
with orientation, who was asked by
an officer how he liked the British.
The private replied: Sir, we like
she British and the British like US,
and thcm's orders"
The chaplain jokcd that yesterday
was the first cheerful baggage de-
tail he ever saw. He said he was
admonisheG to look after their spir-
itual welfare and he was going to do
it, mo matter what the Odds
The chaplain announced church
services-all kinds-and in Billy