Virginia "Ginny" Quaife
US Red Cross
from:Ames, Iowa, USA
Only recently, have my sister and I discovered this site. Our mother was Virginia "Ginny" Quaife, the Red Cross Director, assigned to Dunkeswell Navy Base during the last years of the war. She, like many women, wanted to serve her country in anyway she could and became an army hostess at Fort Crook, Nebraska before joining the Red Cross for a tour overseas. Virginia was assigned to Dunkeswell sometime in 1944 through 1945. According to an excerpt from the local hometown newspaper, one of her fondest projects was furnishing hot coffee and doughnuts to weary crews coming "home" from their missions. Other duties included providing recreational activities and support services for personnel stationed at the base. After VE day, she was briefly assigned to Germany, before closing out her Red Cross career in the Philippines. There are a great many pictures that we have included here. All of these pictures and clippings are taken from her many scrapbooks that she assembled while overseas. Also much of our knowledge of Dunkeswell is based on our mother’s recollections and stories that we have heard so many times while growing up. Some of the individuals shown in the photos are known and so identified. Many are not. We hope that any of the gallant men and women who served here or the children of those who have passed on, would make it known to the site if they recognize any of these people and can provide their names or any anecdotal information about them. As we looked at and assembled these photos for this project, we could not but feel humbled and saddened that, if it were not for this web site and others like it, the exploits of the men and women who served during the war in theatres and campaigns all over the world, would be lost to future generations forever. We look upon this particular project as a legacy to our mother and the fine men and women who served with her at Dunkeswell. Our only regret is that we did not find your site sooner. Sadly, our mother passed away in 1991 at the age of 74. Many of the men and women who would have enjoyed seeing pictures of their fellow comrades during this time are gone as well. As you and I view these pictures, I know they are smiling at the pictures too. The first group of pictures is of the men and women who staffed and ran the Fleet Aero Club at the base and American Red Cross friends. In this set, the first picture is of Helen Fries, the outgoing ARC Director. The 4th picture if of the English staff that helped run the club. There are too many to name on the photo, but luckily our mother wrote some of their names on the back. Her writing is hard to discern, but they appear to be in no particular order: Bessie, Muriel, Wynne, Mrs. Pike, Mrs. Holbert, Peggy, and Mrs. Firzey. Lillian, another English staffer, seemed to be a close friend of Virginia and is shown in several more photos both alone and with someone who perhaps was her boyfriend.
In group two, are included some clippings from the base newspaper and miscellaneous recreational activities.
The third major category contains pictures of the men and crews who were stationed at the base.
From left to right on the back row: George Haddad, “Red” O’Conner, “Chuck” Pillow, “J.P.” Rosen, and on the front row from left to right- “Red” Perysian, “Junior” Pope, and “Happy” Wake.
We have inserted one picture of a novice pilot- Virginia Quaife- behind the controls of a Liberator.
Here are some more crew photos:
The fourth and final category contains some pictures taken off the base in the vicinity. Our mother lived in the country in a large house owned by a Mrs. Nichols. We have included pictures of it and people who may have either lived there or frequented it often.
It was a pleasurable activity to assemble this collection of memories. Anyone who wishes contact us about our mother or the photos in general please get in touch.
