MARY BRASWELL: Looking Back at January 1945

In January 1945, business continued in Dougherty County with local government and schools, movies and entertainment, weddings and births. No part of life, however, was untouched by the happenings of the ongoing World War II.

— The War Manpower Commission was recruiting South Georgia laborers for the Central Michigan General Motors Foundry. Housing and transportation were arranged. Applications were taken at the U.S. Employment Service on Jackson Street.

— Closer to home, 50 laborers for certified war production were need at Durham Iron Co. on Roosevelt Ave.

— One of the largest business concerns in Cairo suffered extensive fire damage. Gandy Brothers Grocery and Market suffered a dollar loss equal to that of all such fires in total for the year just ending in Cairo.

— Orders came from the Office of War Mobilization for all homes and businesses to hold maximum inside temperatures to 68-degrees.

—Evening classes in mathematics, bookkeeping, typing and operations of various calculating machines were available for soldiers stationed at Turner Field free of charge. The classes were in anticipation of the need for post-war jobs for veterans.

— Churchwell’s on Washington Street had a new stock of brown and white saddle shoes for $5 per pair. Shoppers were reminded to bring their ration stamp.

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QUIK QUIZ

In the city’s annual report presented in Jan. 1945 , there were 34 officers listed with the APD. Of that number, how many missed more than five days of work for any reason in 1944?

a) 5

b) 8

c) 13

d) 16

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— The National Association of Tobacco Distributors announced plans to ration cigarettes. The Office of Price Administration approved the move but would not be involved in the enforcement. It was hoped that at 15 cigarettes per day, the voluntary rationing would free an ample supply of smokes for the boys overseas.

— Georgia Department of Education Division of Vocational Rehabilitation held a recruitment meeting at the Dougherty County Courthouse. The search for disabled workers, men and women, black and white, over the age of 16 offered artificial devices and surgical correction for physically disabled persons, free of charge, to join the war effort by learning a trade. Training included work in textile mills, shipyards, aircraft plants, munition factories and other positions. If needed, transportation and board were available until the first paycheck arrived.

— (From a paid ad) Question: Why can the alcoholic beverages industries employ enough men to make 50,000,000 gallons of alcoholic drink when our men at the front can’t get enough ammunition to hold back the enemy?

— A paper salvage depot was located in front of the Albany Herald building. Citizens were asked to bring newspapers, magazines, boxes and wrapping paper to the depot at least once each week.

— Darr Aero Tech began liquidating surplus supplies. Some of the items included: Single-size wool blankets, $2.65 each; Classroom chairs with tablet arm, $4.25 each; Maple single-size beds with springs, $21.38; Steel tubular double-deck bed frames, $18.95 for the set; single sheets, 82-cents each; Pillowcases, 22-cents each; Steel lockers, suitable for use as wardrobes, $10.50 -$15.25 each.

— A&P had great prices on many grocery items. In each ad the ration points were also listed to help the homemaker plan ahead with both cash and ration stamps.

— Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company asked customers to keep the lines open for long distance calls for servicemen in camps and hospitals, especially from 7 -9 p.m.

— Central Seafood Market at 230 Westbrook Alley had fresh Florida seafood trucked in every night. Fish, shrimp and other seafood were not subject to rationing.

— For sale: Two-bedroom frame house on the 1200 block of 5th Avenue; $1500 cash then $27.22 per month.

— One-hundred percent of the students at Flint Avenue School gave to the cause of fighting Polio. The pennies, nickels, dimes and even a few crinkled dollar bills added up to a donation of $156.30.

— More than 330 petitions by landlords for permission to raise rent were received in the Albany Defense Rental Area. Of that number, 119 were granted under the provision that the landlord made major capital improvements to the property. Some such improvements included refurnishing, significant renovations, updating plumbing or even adding a room.

— With the halt of manufacturing sewing machines for home use, Singer Sewing Machines of Albany had several machines on hand for monthly rental.

— A wishing well was built at Turner Field. The “well” had a display of photographs showing children suffering from infantile paralysis and encouraged passers-by to make a wish and toss in a coin for the cause.

— Dougherty County was the first to “go over the top” in the Eleventh War Finance District’s War Bonds drive. The ten counties in the district averaged $14.09 for every man, woman and child. Dougherty County averaged $27.76 per capita.

— The new Naval Hospital for veterans opened in Dublin. Situated on 232 acres, the hospital opened with 500 beds. When completed, the hospital was to have a total of 1,500 beds. On reason given for the Dublin location was that there were no war industries located in city/county.

— Bell’s massive aircraft plant in Marietta announced the immediate tripling of production of the B-29 Superfortress.

— The Albany Police Department installed new two-way radio system in three squad cars. The equipment was billed as “the ultimate in law enforcement communications.”

— Uncle Sam asked women all across the nation to consider work as an Army nurse. The need for 10,000 additional nurses was emphasized by the statement that 11 Army hospital units were recently sent overseas with not a single nurse to accompany them.

— At the first meeting of Dougherty County officials in Jan. 1945, it was announced that there were no outstanding bills and there was enough funds left in the till to last throughout the fiscal year.

QUIK QUIZ answer: a) only 5

Each week Albany Herald researcher Mary Braswell looks for interesting events, places and people from the past. You can contact her at (229) 888-9371 or [email protected]. Follow @ABH_MBraswell on Twitter