Nancy Riddle Hinchliffe Collection

Nancy Riddle Hinchliffe at Notre Dame
Nancy Riddle Hinchliffe poses in front of Notre Dame in Paris, France, in 1945.
Nancy Riddle Hinchliffe beside a fountain
Nancy Riddle Hinchliffe poses beside a fountain in Europe, where she was stationed in 1944 and 1945.
Oral history interview with Nancy Riddle Hinchliffe
Primarily documents Nancy Riddle Hinchliffe's service in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II, particularly her time in the European Theatre of Operation in 1944 and 1945. Hinchliffe briefly discusses her life before the war. She talks about attending beauty school, her first job, and signing up for the WAC. Hinchliffe also recalls basic training, code school, and working as a teletype operator in the States, but she focuses her discussion on her time spent in Europe. Hinchliffe's memories of London include the fear of being bombed and living next to German prisoners' housing. The discussion of her time in France includes talk of bike rides, the beautiful countryside, and her marriage. Hinchliffe also recalls being given a tour of a concentration camp in Germany. " Postwar topics include returning to North Carolina, working while raising her daughters, and her life after her husband's death. The interview ends with a discussion of some of Hinchliffe's photographs from the war.
WACs beside a road sign for Vittel
Two WACs and a soldier pose in front of a roadside sign for Vittel, France, in 1945. The women wear the olive drab battledress "Ike" jacket.