It was a special treat for Timeless Voices interviewer Marilyn Gibb-Rice when she was able to interview the pin-up girl for the E. J. Fairbanks crew of which her brother Joe Hauldren was a member. Ellen Alexander attended the 2012 398th BGMA reunion in Philadelphia with her son, brother and sister-in-law and sat in on the interview which has become part of the Timeless Voices project. Ellen donated a war time photo of herself (shown above) which the crew took with them to Nuthampstead.

Ellen also donated a crew photo (see the "E. J. Fairbanks Crew - Feb/March 1944" on our Identified Crew Photo page) and a letter written to her by her brother’s crewmates in Rapid City on April 9, 1944, one month before “Crew 24” was sent overseas to Nuthampstead (The Fairbanks crew was Original Crew number 24 leaving from Rapid City). Following is an excerpt from the letter the boys sent to Ellen:

“Dear Ellen,

…Thanks a million for the picture and I want to say, as well as the rest of the boys, that no matter how long we looked we couldn’t have found anyone that would have come up to our expectations as a pin-up girl as well as yourself. I’m not kidding when I say that either. No, we haven’t another pin-up girl. Even if we had had to wait twice as long for your picture we would have been just as glad or even more so to get it. We are just sorry that you are married. A girl as pretty as yourself should stay single and let all the boys have a chance to try and make you their wife.

The picture is very good. After the picture came we put it in a frame and I took it all over the barracks showing it to the boys and asking them how they liked my girl. They said I was lying from the beginning for any girl that beautiful wouldn’t have anything to do with me. Then I told them the truth.

I’m sending you a crew picture. It’s not very good but it’s about all we have. We haven’t a separate picture of each of us and then I don’t think they would be as good as a group picture of the whole gang. Our pilot had a large picture made just like the one I’m sending you. It is much clearer but he was the only one that could get the large ones. You see they are made here on the base and they wouldn’t make any for us. Please don’t be mad with us and maybe at some later date we will be able to have a larger and better one made even if it is in England or some other far-away-place….

…Gotta sign off now. Will write more later. Please write to us and continue to use the same address until you get another.

Just, “Crew 24”



Comments:

  1. Photo Reference Number: EllenHauldren01
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