Girls Behind the Man Behind the Gun

Draped with belts of .50-calibre ammunition, Florence Johnston, Specialist (G) Third Class (left), and Rosamund Small, Specialist (G) Third Class, walk out to the target range. As the first members of the U.S. Navy’s Women’s Reserve to qualify as instructors on electrically-operated .50-calibre machine gun turrets, these WAVES are now handing along their knowledge to male marksmen in the Naval Air Gunners School at Hollywood, Florida. Thus, literally ‘girls behind the man behind the guns,’ they deal death by proxy to the Axis when their pupils put into action the lessons they taught.

Photo size: 2420 × 3000
Photo source: Naval History and Heritage Command
Usage: Public Domain