1945 - Victory on All Fronts

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.

1/1/45-- Col. Robert F. Sink’s 506th parachute regiment among the defenders of Bastogne.
-- Health advances eliminate the need for measles quarantine signs to be posted on homes. Isolation period for scarlet fever reduced from 3 to 2 weeks.
-- National supply of pulpwood at critical level.
-- Ad – Western Union seeks women for training.
-- Waxing the heels and toes of stockings said to extend their life fourfold.
-- Up to 6,000 buses expected to be ordered by intercity bus lines once restrictions are lifted.

1/8/45-- 34 men from District 1 inducted. All 26 – 29, mostly fathers.

1/9/45    AMERICAN FORCES INVADE PHILLIPINE ISLAND OF LUZON

1/11/45-- Some deferred farm workers to be called if they didn’t work the entire previous year in agriculture.
-- Pershing Yarborough heard on broadcast from German POW camp: “am well so don’t worry.”
-- Rationing entering its 4th year. Reduction in allotments has reduced availability to its lowest level.

1/12/45-- 3 African American men leave District 2 for induction.

1/16/45     BATTLE OF THE BULGE ENDS IN GERMAN DEFEAT

1/18/45-- Lexington seeks to have VA neuro-psychopathic hospital located here.
-- Mocksville Poultry announces they will buy poultry every Friday at Grimes Milling. Hens - $0.25, Roosters - $0.17.
-- German POW labor paid $0.80 per hour. Employer pays full wage rate to government.  Government has made $5.9 million in last 3 months.
Note: battlefield news is becoming much more specific and much more timely.

1/19/45      GERMAN LINES ON EASTERN FRONT COLLAPSE; FULL RETREAT BEGINS
-- 3 deserters and 4 stills found by Davidson County Sheriff’s Department.

1/22/45-- Fountain heads stolen from Davidson County courthouse.

1/25/45-- Live weapons demonstration given to Lexington Rotary Club. Local man has pieces of chalk shot out of his ears.
-- Local representative pleads Lexington’s case for VA hospital in Washington.
-- 7 African-American men drafted from District 1 – the smallest call in many months.
-- 2 local restaurants cited for failure to display official prices.

1/26/45-- War Production Board orders reduction in municipal street lighting.

2/1/45-- Grand Jury asks for new jail and repairs to current one in the interim.
-- Fire guts Grimes Mill.
-- Up to 200 German POWs may be sent to work in Davidson County. County must build camp.  Army will provide guards, food, clothing.
-- Mutual Building and Loan Association notes making the first “GI Loan” to  an honorably discharged veteran. Up to 100% may be borrowed.
-- Davidson County has 1.33 hospital beds per 1,000 whites, 1.53 per 1,000 African-American (all of the latter in Thomasville). NC has 2.73/1,000 and 1.79/1,000 respectively. Davie, Yadkin and Stokes have no hospital beds.
-- Courthouse appears in painting in February issue of McCall’s magazine.

2/4/45      ROOSEVELT, CHURCHILL AND STALIN MEET AT YALTA CONFERENCE

2/8/45-- Commissioners begin study of jail.
-- Coal shortages may force closings of rural schools in March.
-- Ad – Belk-Martin offers “Sheer hosiery – a rival to Nylon “ at $1 per pair.

2/12/45-- 26 men drafted from District 1.  91 sent for physicals.
 Note: high number of casualty notices continues.

2/15/45-- Formal request sent for 200 POW laborers. 150 to be used in pulpwood cutting, 50 as farm workers.  Site for camp being sought.
-- Ad – ESSO offers “War Map III” – now shows Japanese home islands.

2/19/45      AMERICAN FORCES LAND ON IWO JIMA

3/1/45-- Photo - William C. Craver, USN – 2nd photo of African American serviceman to be published in Dispatch.

3/3/45      AMERICAN FORCES LIBERATE MANILA IN THE PHILLIPINES

3/7/45      ALLIES CAPTURE COLOGNE; LUDENDORFF RAIL BRIDGE ON RHINE RIVER CAPTURED INTACT AT RAMAGEN

3/8/45-- Government has expended $12 million in Davidson County since 1940.
-- United National Clothing Collection campaign to begin here. Goal of 150 million lbs of clothing nation wide.

3/9/45      TOKYO FIREBOMBED

3/12/45-- 95 German POWS to come to Davidson County from camp in Winston-Salem. 50 men to Coble Dairy Farm, 25 to Henry Kapp farm, 10 each to Beallmont and Hillcrest farms. The employer must provide transport.

3/13/45-- Red Cross working on large quota of white seersucker pajamas for hospitals.
-- Ad – “White Flash” gasoline $0.23 a gallon.

3/15/45-- POW labor said to be working well despite language barrier.
-- Mr. & Mrs. J.O. McCrary – 5 sons in service.

3/16/45     JAPANESE RESISTANCE ON IWO JIMA ENDS
-- Thomasville ministers again make plans for war end celebration.

3/19/45-- Allotment of canning sugar will be reduced.

3/22/45-- Col. Robert F. Sink receives British Distinguished Service Order from Field Marshall Montgomery.
-- 26 year old Denton man – father of 2 – confesses to cutting off fingers of left hand to avoid induction.

3/26/45-- Sam Snead to play in exhibition match at municipal course.

3/29/45-- April tire allocation for Davidson County reduced to 1/3 of previous level.

4/1/45     AMERICAN TROOPS ENCIRCLE GERMAN FORCES IN THE RUHR

4/2/45-- Full page ad – “Full Production is a patriotic duty. Stick with your job and work at it.”

4/5/45-- Speaker at Rotary Club discusses need for full employment of returning vets.
-- 130 men from District 1 sent for physicals.
-- VA hospital awarded to Salisbury.
-- Editorial – real election problem in Davidson County is vote buying.
-- Editorial – proposal in Congress to establish 79 national cemeteries for war dead.

4/9/45-- Textile plant absenteeism continues to be a major problem.
-- BSA troop 200 collecting scrap paper for the General Eisenhower Boy Scout Paper Campaign.
-- Column – at 5:00 p.m., Main Street has begun to look like Broadway due to heavy traffic.

4/12/45     FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT DIES OF STROKE; TRUMAN BECOMES PRESIDENT
-- 40 white men, 13 African-American from District 1 – “a number” of whom are over 29.
-- Lexington Red Cross issues SOS call for knitters – 200 pair of socks and 100 sweaters to be made.

4/16/45-- Davidson County gearing up for 7th War Loan drive.
-- President Truman takes office.  Flags to fly at half-mast for 30 days.
-- Roosevelt’s funeral train passes through Lexington about noon on Saturday the 14th. Several thousand spectators on hand.

4/18/45     GERMAN FORCES IN THE RUHR CAPITULATE

4/19/45-- Another $75,000 needed to begin hospital.
-- Roy Garner liberated from German POW camp by advancing allies.
-- Supply of overalls creates long lines at Belk-Martin.
-- VFW Post 8 holds meeting on GI Bill at Dunbar School.
-- German POWs in NC have put in 725,601 hours in 6 months.
-- Ad – How to salvage fats” scrape broiler and roasting pans, skim soups and gravies, melt down trimmings and scraps, pour into salvage can, take can to butcher and receive 2 red ration points per pound."
-- Full-page ad promoting a “full 48 hour work week” in textile production.

4/20/45-- S/Sgt William T Lee and Sgt Lyman P. Murphy, liberated POWs, reported on way home.

4/23/45-- ½ page ad for Kiwanis paper drive.

4/26/45-- Wine sales for on premise consumption restricted to restaurants.
-- Restaurant inspection results: 6 A, 35 B, 7 C, 3 closed.

4/28/45      VENICE FALLS TO ALLIED FORCES

4/30/45-- Lexington Hospital fund still short.
-- Army says victory in Europe will not relieve food shortages.

5/2/45      ALL GERMAN FORCES IN ITALY SURRENDER

5/3/45-- Merchants again discuss plans for VE day celebrations.
-- Grimes and Model mills receive Army contracts for flour.
 -- Movie ad - “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” at Carolina.

5/7/45     UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF ALL GERMAN FORCES
-- SBI continues investigation into fraudulent ballots.

5/8/45     VICTORY IN EUROPE (VE) DAY

5/10/45 -- 33 white men and 5 African-Americans inducted from District 1.
-- Red Cross helping to notify families of liberated POWs.
Note: Still many casualty notices.

5/11/45-- In Thomasville, the German surrender was noted quietly… stores didn’t open, mills opened and then closed at 9 a.m., factory whistles blew.  Ban on street lighting lifted.

5/17/45-- Glenn D. Spears, the first veteran to be discharged under the point system, returns.
Note: Discharges and returns of liberated POWs becoming more frequent.

5/24/45-- Men over 30 excluded from the draft.
-- American Legion to honor 57 men who have died in service to date.

5/28/45-- Gas ration increased 50% for “A” drivers – allows 180 miles per month.

6/4/45-- 2 cases of spotted fever in Boone township.
-- District 1 Ration office moves to W. First Avenue.
-- Military cigarette ration set at 6 packs a week.

6/7/45-- Last 11-grade high school class graduates.
-- 5 African-American men drafted from District 1.
-- Employment office reports 123 open essential service jobs in Davidson County.

6/11/45-- “B” gas ration card holder can request additional gas – u p to 650 miles allowed per month.
-- Sgt. George E. Dorsett finds $93 Million in gold in cave in Italy.

6/14/45-- 60 men from camp Mackall to reenact a “beachhead invasion” here as part of 7th War Loan drive. To be held at Holt-Moffitt field.
-- Miami Hotel receiving stations overfull. Now restricted to casualties and ex POWs.
-- Erlanger’s Lt. Col. Jack Childers who has already received the Silver Star, receives “Order of the National Army of the Fatherland” from Russian Army. He commanded the 771st Tank Btn. Leading the push into Germany.

6/18/45-- 52 white men from District 1 drafted.
-- The March Hotel will close their dining rooms until food and labor shortages are resolved.

7/2/44-- Translation of text of Lt. Col. Childer’s Russian Decoration appears in paper.
-- Davidson County reaches quota on 7th War Loan.
-- Thousands coming home from Europe face re-deployment to the Pacific.
-- Ad – Coca Cola Bottling of Lexington announces shortages due to sugar shortage.  Sugar allotment is 50% of 1941.

7/12/45-- 9,400 German POWs at work in NC. 266 housed at armory in Winston-Salem.

7/16/45     FIRST U.S. ATOMIC BOMB TESTED AT LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO
-- Ad – Grimes Milling – “Serving Uncle Sam and the people of NC”

7/19/45-- 19 men inducted from District 1.
-- 200 men needed to fill local jobs.
-- Sugar ration coupons stolen on two Davidson County rural mail routes.
-- Lexington Police add 2 new officers bringing force to 14.
-- Classified ad – Woman will pay a $5 reward to anyone helping her to locate a house to rent in Lexington.

7/26/45-- Ad - Leonard’s Bargain Store offers range of wines: elderberry, blackberry, loganberry, peach, apple, cherry, red grape, white grape, scuppernong.

7/27/45-- Thomasville plans for municipal park and pool by acquiring 20 acres.

7/30/45-- Gas stoves removed from rationing.
-- Photo - new American jet plane, the P-80 – capable of 550 mph.

8/2/45-- Mr. And Mrs. W.L. Gray – 7 sons in service.
-- Sugar and soap powder heads shortage lists.
-- 12 – 15 vacancies for teachers in Davidson County schools.
-- Public is reminded that all job changes must be approved.
-- Long line noted at Purcell’s for sale of soap powder.

8/6/45      FIRST ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA
-- Photo - 1946 Ford – 40,000 to be made when production resumes.
-- Uncle Dave Macon of the Grand Old Opry to appear in Lexington.

8/9/45     ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED ON NAGASAKI
-- Photo – Atom bomb dropped on 2 cities in Japan.
-- Russia declares war on Japanese.
-- Col. Robert F. Sink receives Croix De Guerre.

8/13/45-- Surrender terms sent to Japanese.
-- Kiwanis plans another paper drive.
-- Ceiling prices being checked here.
-- Lexington Merchants plan for VJ Day.

8/14/45     UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF JAPANESE FORCES

8/15/45     VICTORY OVER JAPAN (VJ) DAY

8/16/45-- Over 130 known dead in war.
-- Gas, fuel oil, canned goods, shoes, no longer rationed. Tires remain rationed.
-- Lexington’s victory celebration “enthusiastic but decorous” – for 3 hours, cars paraded, blowing horns. There was gunfire and firecrackers. Churches opened. There was a formal parade. Factories closed. Bundles of collected scrap paper used as confetti. Governor Cherry ordered a statewide halt to beer and wine sales.

8/17/45-- In Thomasville, the streets were full of cars driving aimlessly and blowing horns, which lasted beyond midnight. Stores and factories closed, including gas stations. Large crowd at Methodist church.

8/20/45-- 10 men inducted from District 1. No one over 26 to be called.
-- Davidson County man, Marion H. Randolph, worked on Manhattan Project.
-- Red Cross stresses that there is still much to do.
-- YMCA offer nylon hose as bridge prizes.
-- Note: Ads promoting new products to soon be released, gas, tires, cars, appliances.

Copyright J. M. Daniel, 2005