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Saboteurs Better Beware! 'Lady M. P.Y Help Guard This Airplane PlantLKFT: Lucile Tobias, left (ex-saleswoman) and Sue Babcock (ex-comptometer operator) demonstrate self-defense technique they learn while training to be guards. ABOVE: An important, if unspectacular part of the work of women guards at the Columbus plant is checking passes and inspecting handbags and lunch boxes. Here comely Frances Barnes (ex-officio worker) checks pass of Ann Shirk, who helpg build Helldiver dive bombers for tfi* V. S. Navy.COLUMBUS, O. —A would-be, saboteur, spy or other Joe with evil intent who fools around the Curtiss-Wright airplane plant here j might not be surprised at being I j caught by a husky he-man guard,1 * but he’d probably curl up with . astonished mortification if he were collared —and none to gently—; by an attractive young woman. Could happen. She would be one ! of the company of “Lady M. P.’s” which is part of the plant’s force I of uniformed guards.A few months ago there were, only three such guards, but now there are 21, and their number will increase as more men guards are called to active duty with the Army and Navy. They regularly patrol locker room and other sec- j tions of the huge plant, inspect j workers’ badges and lunch boxes; at entrances and escort visitors. | Like the men guards, the worn- j en are officially sworn into the US. Army as members of the Auxiliary Military Police. They wear! trim uniforms df Marine Corps j forest green, with overseas caps1 ! and Sam Brown belts. They are j drilled in close order formations i twice a week by an Army officer j in a 10-week course. They take 1 regular pistol practice and are' handy enough with the w’eapon to make it a bad risk for any suspect to ignore their command to halt. And if Mr. Suspect were nabbed and put up a struggle, he’d probably be out of luck, too, because they get thorough training in hand-to-hand defense methods.Qualifications the women guards are required to meet include a high school education, agebetween 22 and 35. height not less than 5 feet 6 inches, experience in supervising people and a passing grade in a special intelligence test which is a modification of the regular Army I. Q. test.The “Lady M. P.’s’’ come from various backgrounds One is aformer manager of a chain of restaurants, another was a professional wrestler, and there are former housewives, factory and officeworkers, plant matrons and exprivate detectives. Head of the unit is Mrs. Margaret Barney, one time social worker and department ! store detective, who had been a ■ Curtiss-Wright matron before the ! women’s guard company was or-; ganized.
Newspaper Details
Jefferson City Daily Capital News
Jefferson City, Missouri, US
Tue, Jul 13, 1943
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
DC, USA 12 Nov 2023
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