Leap year & vintage collars & cuffs

So obviously there was no 29 February in 1942 (there was in 1940 and 1944 however), so there is no news today. But here is something cute instead.

I have written previously of detachable white collars and how they were popular during wartime as an aid to help being seen during the blackout.

They were also used to dress up plain dresses, and were not made of fabric, but knitted or crocheted.
Here are two pretty versions that could be made at home.




Aren’t they sweet, and doesn’t that first model look like Ava Gardner?

Happy leap year,

Deb xxx

150 Listings, Thrift shop finds, HMAS Perth & Naval Uniforms of WWII

 

I have done it! Achieved one goal for 2012 that is.  I have got 100 listings on Ebay and 50 on Etsy!

And I am still on track to not buy new in 2012.  Mind you the op shops do get lots of visits.  Today it was raining so I had a little browse at lunchtime.  Look what I found!

      

A crystal ice bucket, perfect for the evening scotch and soda,  a lonely red kitten pepper shaker and a lovely blue and white ceramic cat with a Scandinavian feel.  Total $7.50.

Todays outfit was simple, due mainly to the hot, steamy weather.  A  black knee length pencil skirt and aqua blouse, which I thought had a nice 40s peplum feel.  As usual when I feel a bit plain I put on a vintage pin – this one’s my favourite,  a vintage silver cherry brooch by Sarah Coventry.  I also wore black patent peep-toe shoes with bows and an aqua flower in my hair.

    

Meanwhile, on this day in 1942:

During the Battle of the Sunda Strait, the Australian Naval Cruiser, HMAS PERTH, and the United States cruiser HOUSTON, encountered a Japanese invasion force protected by several warships.

They managed to sink or damages a number of Japanese ships but were themselves sunk, with heavy loss of life, including the Perth’s Commanding Officer, Captain  Waller. Over half of Perth’s ships company lost their lives in the battle and the rest were captured and made POWs in the ensuing weeks.

The Perth in the Panama canal, 1940, and some of her officers and men in Sydney, March 1940

I love their uniforms, don’t you!  The Australians seem to wear chaps over their boots and pants for marching and dangerous work.

Australian sailors loading an 8" gun – 1940  Source

At other times they don’t.

HMAS Australia - Some of the crew ,late 1940s Source

The Australian uniform appears to be navy, and the dress uniform white, while the US uniform seems to always be white (if the movie version of Pearl Harbour is accurate).   Here’s a sweet photo of a US sailor and his family I found for sale on ebay.

And here is a short 1950s movie about women joining the Australian Navy.  The uniforms are great, but they seem like glorified cooks and waitresses!  A bit of a let down after the war I would think.

Join if you dare.

As I post this I find I have made a sale on Etsy – my fourth!  And to Spain.  Better go and list something else……….

Deb xxx

Daily outfit, Thrifting treasures, Ack-Ack girls in action & Australia’s first POW

I thought it was about time I started posting about my daily outfits.  That way, on my journey to vintage I will have a catalogue of what I have worn and the changes that I may have made.  It’s also a diary of my thrifting really, because most of my clothes are thrifted.  As my finances improve, and I hopefully lose a little weight, I will get some more true vintage clothes.  For now I make do with clothes that inspire vintage or have a vintage feel – I love the 40s and 50s, so that is the look I am going for. 

Today’s outfit I thought was 40s looking, and totally thrifted on the weekend.  A red just below knee length skirt and a black semi fitted short sleeve jacket with padded shoulders and embroidery on the collar.  And the shoes – aren’t they gorgeous! 

   

I will try and post some photos of me instead of my mannequin, but really , she is a size 10 and so much more pleasing to the eye!  Anyway, the cost: $4 for the shoe, $3 for the skirt and $1 for the jacket = $8.
My other thrift bargain was a microwave oven – stainless steel. I needed one because of teenagers who are incapable of using a saucepan to heat baked beans, and a six year old who decided to cook a rock in the last one.  Note – do not cook rocks in the microwave, it doesn’t like it or ever work again.  Only $15!

 

Now to history:
On this day in 1942 , an Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi Zero B11-1 crash landed on Melville Island, Northern Territory. It was flown by Sergeant Toyoshima Hajime from the aircraft carrier Hiryu,who had earlier participated in the bombing of Darwin on 19 February.  It was the first Japanese aircraft to crash land on Australian soil.

Source

Toyoshima was initially captured by Aborigines from the Snake Bay settlement, who took his pistol from him and handed him and the pistol over to Sergeant Leslie Powell, 23 Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers on Bathurst Island.  Toyoshima became Australia's first Japanese prisoner of war.

           
Sergeant TOYOSHIMA Hajime & Sergeant Leslie Powell                  Snake Bay settlement, Melville Island, NT    Photo Source


Yesterday I spoke of ack- ack guns in Melbourne. Here is a great photo spread of Victorian  ack-ack girls in action, from PIX June 1942.




Enjoy! Have a lovely vintage day,
Deb xx

Japanese recce over Melbourne, a missing plane, and war time paper dolls in uniform

On this day in 1942, Japanese Warrant Flying Officer Nobuo Fujita flew north across Bass Strait headed  towards Melbourne.  He flew across the Bellarine Peninsula towards Portarlington, near  Geelong  and ;the Laverton Air force Base. Fujita hit heavy cloud finally cleared it directly above Laverton airfield.  There were about 12 Wirraways based at Laverton along with some Lockheed Hudsons and some Avro Ansons, and about nine RAAF personnel at Laverton reported sighting the Japanese aircraft. Two RAAF aircraft were scrambled to try to locate Fujita, but found nothing.   The crews of the 4 ack ack guns at Williamstown were in the middle of a routine inspection of their guns when they spotted the  Japanese plane, but the Lieutenant in charge did not give the order to open fire.  Instead he got on the phone to headquarters to obtain permission, by which time it was too late – Fujita had headed out towards Port Phillip Bay.
Meanwhile on the other side of the country east of Broome, Western Australia,  the a USAAF  plane went missing while on a ferry flight from Perth to Darwin.    They were meant to refuel at Broome, but flew past is in the dark, and ran out of fuel.  It made a forced landing on the coast, where it was located later an still remains today.  The crew of four and two passengers were marooned on the beach for a couple of days, and used some pipes off the the aircraft to distil drinking water from salt water.  The Qantas flying boat "Corinthian" was said to be involved in the rescue of the crew and passengers.  I can’t help but think this story would make a great movie.
Meanwhile, here are some more lovely paper dolls from the Chicago Tribune in 1942, with defence uniforms.


These and more paper dolls can be found here.
Deb xx

A lady butcher in 1942

Although it’s raining, we are having a bar-b-que tonight.  It’s my parents wedding anniversary so we are having a little get together.  Of course meat is on the menu, including lamb and  sausages from our local butcher.

Here’s a lovely article from  one of my 1942 PIX magazines about a Brisbane lady who works in her husbands butcher’s shop.  I love the first outfit – very glam and a big change form the next photo!



Isn’t the chair lovely too? And here she is with her pets, and then making sausages.



I love these magazines as they give a great snapshot of 1940s life.  I will be posting more soon!

Deb xx

The Great Los Angeles Air Raid 1942 & Phryne Fisher Detects

 

Late on this day and  until early 25 February 1942, and The Battle of Los Angeles took place.  Sounding a bit like a movie production, and also known as The Great Los Angeles Air Raid by contemporary sources, it was either an enemy attack (by Japan or aliens), a false alarm, or mis-directed friendly fire.  It caused a subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage, damaged several buildings, killed three civilians and caused another three to die of heart attacks.  You can read more about it here.

Read more from the leaked documents that attempt to unravel the truth, here.

The event is now recreated annually (without the gun fire).

How brilliant to be able to go.  Beth from V is for Vintage did just that.  See her gorgeous photos on her blog, here.

Now I am off to watch Ms Fisher’s Murder Mysteries – a new series based on the Phryne fisher series by Kerry Greenwood, set in 1929 Melbourne.  I am hoping it will be as wonderful as the oks, and that the costumes will be divine.  Here’s a preview.

  

Phryne is played by the lovely Essie Davis, who is usually a blonde.  What a transformation!  More photos to come.

Deb xx

23 Feb 1942

 

During World War II, Townsville (4 hours drive north of Mackay, QLD where I live) was host to over 50,000 American and Australian troops and air crew.

U.S. Army Chaplain, John Radlinski at the American Army Station Hospital near Townsville, ca. 1942

It became a major staging point for battles in the South West Pacific.  There were seven airfields and other bases around the city and in the region, and the first bombing raid on Rabaul, in Papua New Guinea, on 23 February 1942 was carried out by six B-17s based near Townsville.   It was common for B-26 Marauders, B-17 Flying Fortresss or B-25 Mitchell bombers to take off on long range bombing raids from Garbutt air base in Townsville.

The Strand today.

There was a  great deal of construction in Townsville during the War .   Apart from rebuilding the air base, the US forces converted several of the main roads to use as  extra airstrips, and maintenance workshops were built along these roadways.   Apparently,  the remains of some of these installations and airstrips are still evident, something I plan to look for when I am next there.
Some of the units based in Townsville were –

• No. 3 Fighter Sector RAAF, Wulguru & North Ward
  
• 1 Wireless Unit, Pimlico & Stuart & Roseneath
  
• North Eastern Area Command HQ, Townsville, Sturt St (now the Federation building)
  
• Castle Hill, Townsville underground tunnels & bunkers
  
• Green St. Bunker, West End, Sidney St West End, Project 81 (now the SES building)

General Douglas MacArthur was supposed to have had his headquarters in an underground bunker which apparently still exists under an office building in the suburb of Garbutt, and there are also rumours of hidden air raid bunkers and  secret tunnels.   How exciting.  Nothing like that seems to be evident in Mackay.   There were also rumours that containers of mustard gas had been buried under castle hill, but further reports indicate that they were buried at sea off the coast.  Read more about the search here.
On a different note, here a few photos of vintage aprons and tea cosies from my collection that I have decided to put on Etsy.  My drawers are getting too full, so I have decided to part with some of them – even my scotty dog apron!
    
                 
Oh, and I had my first riding lesson today – a nice gentle trail ride.  It was great, even though it was super hot and sunny.  We gave the horses a hose down afterwards, which they loved.  Next week I’ll take my camera!
Deb xx

Paper Dolls 1940s style

Some more 1942 fashion inspiration.  From Jack and Jill magazine, April 1941, via the paper collector.




I love the touches of red, including those peep toe shoes, and of course the red coat.  The gingham shirt would be perfect for horse-riding, , and how modern does the white top with the tie front look?  I plan to print this out on card for Miss Six’s birthday, but the images would be great for scrapbooking too.

Enjoy, Deb xx

Vintage Red Cherry Recipes & Coffee Drinking

 

So obviously from my blog title you can tell I love vintage, and cherries.  If you follow me on pin interest you will also pick that up! Living here in north Queensland, though, we don’t get many cherries, only a few around Christmas that are flown in from our southern parts.  But a girl can dream…..and  I found a sweet little booklet today on  recipe curio, circa 1955. 

There is a scan of the whole booklet, with recipes like lattice cherry pie, cherry cobbler and cherry upside down cake. Drooolll…..If  you are able to try out a recipe, please do let me know how you went.

And you know what would go well with that piece of cherry pie?  A coffee.  Here is a lovely American 1942 coffee ad from my collection:

I can’t imagine anyone say that coffee keeps them glamorous today, can you?  And personally, although I love coffee, a cup at bedtime would have to be decaf, or I’d wake up at midnight and not go to sleep again.  I also love the way the first ladies radio show helps with the coffee advertising.

Australians in 1942 rarely drank coffee – it was really introduced by Americans during WWII, and then improved by the immigration of  Europeans after the war.  Now, we are a nation of coffee drinkers, and spend almost twice as much on coffee as we do on tea.   Instant coffee is huge business in Australia, with it accounting for 80% of all hot drinks consumed in the home. 

Here is an Australian 1942 vintage ad for coffee, by Bushells, known now a great Australian tea makers. I imagine that during the war when tea became rationed (after the Japanese took control of the tea growing nations), they tried to increase their sales of coffee instead.

And here is a lovely photo from the Australian War memorial of German Internees enjoying a cup of coffee in the little victory garden they have growing at No 1 camp in Tatura, Victoria, nicely squeezed in near the hospital.

I am off to enjoy a cup, before it gets too late!

Deb xxx

Vintage Lingerie Sew Along & Inspiration

1955 Ad for garter belts, available on Etsy

Have you ever wanted to sew your own vintage style lingerie.  I have, and now living the 1942 way and not buying new clothes, I have decided to give it a go.  Luckily, just in time, the lovely Anna from A Few Threads Loose and Sarah from Ohhh Lulu have teamed up to present a fabulous Ooh la la Pin Up Sew-Along, beginning with Anna's new pattern for this amazing French Pin-up Corset garter belt and continuing with her French Pin-up Bra Corselet.

A proper garter belt , as opposed to the garden variety sex-pot  model, gives great tummy support and  smooths out the bumps, while holding up your stocking! What more could you ask for?

You can join the sew along at A Few Threads Loose and purchase the pattern in her etsy shop, Mrs. Depew Vintage.   But first pop over to A Few Threads Loose for a coupon code for her shop and enter her giveaway to win the patterns for the sew-along!  Good luck, I hope you join us.

Meanwhile, here is some more inspiration:

    

Deb xxx