My Auntie Dorothy Schwartz (1919-2001) was among the 650 members of the Womens Army Corps who sailed on the Aquitania on July 8, 1943. Also on board were many thousands of soldiers and support personnel, sailing from New York to Scotland, amid heightened U-Boat activity and worries of German attack. I happily shared my copy of the article with this researcher.
Seventy years after that voyage, I was very fortunate to be introduced to my aunt's lifelong friend Penelope, who met Dorothy on that voyage. They bonded over their anxiety about enduring days at sea without a military escort. Penelope also told me stories of the antics of the male troops trying to attract the attention of the WACs, in defiance of official edicts against socializing.
The researcher who contacted me was kind enough to share a link to a book that provided broader background about the Aquitania and other Cunard ships that carried troops to war. The book was written by an officer in the Royal Australian Navy Volunteer Reserve who served on the RMS Aquitania for that voyage, among other voyages. I had not known about this book and was glad to have the link.
Available for free on Internet Archive, Running the Gauntlet is a well-researched and often personal account of Alister Satchell's experience on the Aquitania during wartime. Shown here is a page from that book, in which he describes the presence of WACs on board in July, 1943 as being "mental diversion" for the servicemen. Well, that was his view as a member of the crew, anyway.
By the way, "WAC" is not in the index so I had to look for that voyage by following the chronology of the chapters. Always a good idea to look beyond the index and table of contents!
Satchell also provides lots of historical details to frame the achievement of how the three Cunard ships successfully carried one million men and women to war during the 1940s. He also notes, poignantly, that if even one of those Cunard ships had been sunk while carrying troops, it would instantly have sent some 10,000 mothers into bereavement. 😓
Finally, the author has his say about everyday life in Scotland, England, and big American cities during the war. He had time off to see sights and particularly enjoyed New York City and Washington, D.C. during his travels. Interesting to think about the home front, not just the experiences of service personnel.
