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 Davidson County, 1940 – 1945: Local newspapers describe life on the WWII homefront”
This text has been modified from a book written and copyrighted by J.M. Daniel in 2005. The Museum presented two exhibits about WWII that year and Daniel’s research accompanied the first exhibit, A Band of Families: The World War II Home Front. Compiled from local newspaper articles published during the war in The Dispatch (Lexington), and The Times (Thomasville), the book reflects the extraordinary level of patriotic engagement citizens at home made in support of the war effort. A subsequent exhibit, Our Own Band of Brother: Those Who Served, told the story of thousands of Davidson County men and women who saw military service during WWII.
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 1939 - 1941 - Spectators to a World at War
Residents in Davidson County, North Carolina fought World War II on two fronts – for every local citizen who served his or her county in the military, family and friends remained behind to wage their own war on "The Homefront." The information presented is from Davidson County’s local newspaper accounts from late 1939 through shortly after the end of WWII in 1945. The information was gathered from headlines, editorials, classified ads, and the society pages printed in "The Times" in Thomasville, NC and "The Dispatch" in Lexington, NC. What emerges is a picture of everyday Davidson County citizens learning to cope with the reality of world war. There are stories of tireless volunteers and scrap drives, fund raising and blackout procedures. And, as with any other county in America, you’ll also find a bit about those who sought to evade the draft, the difficulty of conforming to ration restrictions, and even the authorities attempts to discourage wartime bootlegging.
09/01/39 GERMAN ARMY INVADES POLAND BRITAIN; FRANCE DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY
1940
04/09/40 GERMAN ARMY INVADES DENMARK AND NORWAY
05/10/40 GERMAN ARMY INVADES FRANCE, BELGIUM, LUXEMBOURG AND THE NETHERLANDS; WINSTON CHURCHILL APPOINTED BRITISH PRIME MINISTER
06/10/40 ITALY DECLARES WAR ON BRITAIN AND FRANCE
06/14/40 NAZIS TAKE PARIS
06/22/40 FRANCE CAPITULATES TO NAZIS; BATTLE OF BRITAIN BEGINS; LUFTWAFFE BEGINS RAIDS ON BRITISH AIRFIELDS AND AIRCRAFT FACTORIES
09/07/40 GERMAN "BLITZ" ON BRITISH CITIES BEGINS
09/16/40 MILITARY CONSCRIPTION INTRODUCED IN US
-- In view of the military situation overseas the National peace time conscription in US History. The plan is for 800,000, men aged 21-35 to be called for 12 months of training, and then return home to active reserve for 5 to 10 years. Davidson County Election board will handle draft registration.
09/27/40 TRIPARTITE ALLIANCE FORMED BETWEEN GERMANY, ITALY AND JAPAN
Note: for nearly 6 weeks there is very little information about the war in local newspapers.
11/05/40
 ROOSEVELT RE-ELECTED
11/28/40-- Thomasville has its first white volunteers: John H. Coggins, Wallace Tolsen, Charles R. Lee, Samuel Gillespie, Walter Ratcliff, and their first African-American volunteer. Lexington’s first African-American volunteer is Doris Leverett. Dick Patterson, Varnell Yarborough, Gilbert Smith, and Daniel Dunlap are the community’s first white volunteers.
12/05/40-- Lexington’s Dr. Ed Cathell is called to active duty.
-- First selectmen leave for Ft Bragg. In Lexington, Vice-Mayor Dr. C. R. Sharpe speaks at the farewell, and the High School band plays.
1941
01/13/41-- 20 local volunteers filled the quota for District 1 (Lexington).
-- Film actress Binnie Barnes objects to a scene where her black lace “undies” were exposed to view!
-- Bundles for Britain organization adopts a bombed British Hospital.
-- An ordained minister in Philadelphia is sentenced for failure to register for the draft.
-- Lend Lease Bill is authorized in Congress, allowing U.S. to provide military support to England.
-- Defense needs call older workers back to work, reducing social security claims.
-- Grimes Elementary PTA plans a discussion on “What an elementary school can do in a national defense program.”
-- Local market prices: lb beef $0.10 to $0.11, one doz. eggs $0.25.
-- Sink-Taylor Automobiles on N. Main in Lexington offers the new Pontiac “Torpedo” deluxe
for $828.
01/20/41-- A photo of the new “Flag Waving Machine” enables you to show your patriotism.
05/01/41-- Volunteer quotes are set by race. District 1 sends 3 white and 8 African-American volunteers into military service.
-- High schools are offering “Defense Training” classes (mostly mechanical arts). The 11 classes formed include Denton, Churchland, and Arcadia.
-- Local United Daughters of the Confederacy buys an ambulance for the British Red Cross.
-- Defense Savings Bonds and Savings Stamps go on sale at local post offices.
-- 104 men (89 white, 15 African-American) have been sent to induction centers since 12/5/40; there were 68 volunteers before first conscription.
-- Movie “Gone with the Wind” returns for a 3-day engagement.
-- U. S. Navy offers short term enlistments in 3 fields (neither Navy nor Marines were taking conscripts).
-- Grubb Motor Co. offers ’39 Ford Deluxe 2-door for $163 down and payments of $24.87 for 18 mos.
-- Newspaper Column, “The past week in defense”… contains this quote: “supply Britain, let them do the fighting.”
05/05/41-- Davidson County rural churches asked to register people for voluntary community service as part of the National Defense Program.
-- Bundles for Britain” – ladies on street corners are taking contributions (cash, a lot of clothing and knitted items) for bombed hospitals. 75 pounds of clothing is mailed to Britain.
-- Boy Scouts are asked to distribute literature on Defense Bonds and Stamps.
-- The Red Cross needs volunteers to sew pre-cut clothing at home: 45 boys’ shirts, 75 baby blankets, 35 boys gowns, 43 baby dresses, 5 sacques, 60 diapers.
08/04/41-- 52 Davidson county men are called up.
-- An ad by local service stations calls on the “Spirit of ‘41.”
08/12/41 ATLANTIC CHARTER SIGNED BY ROOSEVELT AND CHURCHILL
10/23/41-- 29 white men from District 2 (Thomasville) are drafted. U.S. Assistant Secretary of War says that we have the finest warplanes in the world: the A-20, A-24, B-25, B-26, P-30, P-38, P-39, and P-40. Only 3 of these will still be front line aircraft at war’s end. The State Theater’s new movie is “A Yank in the RAF.”
10/30/41-- Many soldiers are in the Davidson County area for maneuvers. 200 of them will be invited to visit Thomasville and be “entertained.”
11/11/41-- Davidson County aircraft spotters will participate in Army maneuvers 11/15 – 11/29. They will be divided between Red & Blue armies.
11/13/41-- Newspaper notice implores “save scrap iron against future needs.”
11/16/41-- Red” and Blue” armies ‘skirmish’ along the Yadkin bridges in Davidson County as war training maneuvers begin. Soldiers are seen everywhere, as are armored vehicles and planes flying overhead.
11/20/41-- 15 men from District 2 are inducted.
-- A Thanksgiving Cartoon entitled “Give Thanks” shows a prosperous US family at Thanksgiving vs. the plight of war-torn Europeans.
-- Photo - Birthday photo of 4-year old with caption: “look out Mr. Hitler.”
11/27/41-- Navy recruiting ad asks “want thrills…?”
-- Army maneuvers continue to the south of Davidson County – many aircraft are seen over the county.
12/01/41-- “Jap peace talks a failure?” reports that Japanese say compromise is impossible.
-- Local folks give Victrola to a Military Camp. 5 more are needed for Ft. Bragg.
12/04/41-- Davidson County men will now to be sent to Charlotte for induction physicals rather than having physicals performed locally.
-- 266 men have been inducted for year 1941.
-- Christmas gift ads: air rifle $1, Lionel Trains $6.45, dolls $0.98, Washing set $1.29.
-- Large scale Army Maneuvers conclude in North Carolina.
12/07/41 JAPANESE ATTACK NAVAL BASE AT PEARL HARBOR
12/08/41 "DAY OF INFAMY" SPEECH; UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN DECLARE WAR ON JAPAN
-- Local servicemen home on furlough rush to return to their posts.
12/11/41 GERMANY AND ITALY DECLARE WAR ON U.S.
-- Davidson County Electrical sub-stations will be guarded 24 hrs a day.
-- Papers say a “Gay Christmas” is expected, despite the war.
-- Civilians will be called on for service in areas such as Civil Defense.
-- Welcome community is “united” in face of the news of the Japanese attack.
-- Men from the 39th Infantry at Ft. Bragg guard the Yadkin River bridges.
-- Air raid instructions: 4 blasts of fire signal repeated twice = attack, 2 blasts = all clear.
12/15/41-- Local Guard increases drill schedule to twice a month.
-- “Temporary” ban on tire sales begins… a prelude to rationing.
-- Davidson County cities organize for War Emergency.
-- Selective Service Bill expands – all men ages 18 to 64 are required to register; those 19 to 44 are eligible for the draft.
-- Davidson County bus and truck owners are urged to fill out cards as part of a national defense truck and bus inventory.
-- Lexington’s Mayor is appointed as local chairman of Civilian defense; the post master is the new air raid warden. -- Editorial urges: “Save Tires-Save Lives.
12/18/41-- Ad says: “your grocery man is cooperating in all defense efforts.”
-- Davidson County farm women pledge their aid for defense... “Produce and eat home grown foods…”
-- Davidson County youth are flocking to the Navy: Eugene Roberts (Lexington), Wallace Wynn, James Conrad and Frederick Thompson (Thomasville) Robert Henderson (Denton). Fernie Medlin joins Marines.
-- The African-American community gives liberally to Red Cross roll call – 100% of the faculty at Dunbar School contribute.
-- “Volunteer Motor Corps for Service” seeks registrants to help transport service men on leave.
12/22/41-- Social life… weddings, etc. continue, despite the war.
-- A special Guard is put on the Yadkin River Bridge. Selective Service news is now to be treated as "confidential."
12/23/41 WAKE ISLAND FALLS TO THE JAPANESE
12/29/41-- Lexington Mayor Hunt leads drive for War Relief; the goal is $7500.
-- The sale of Defense Bonds and Stamps is up 75-100%.
Copyright J. M. Daniel, 2005
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