Our Friday Find: We received a donation this week of a cool photo from the WWII era. The back of the photo reads: “John Henry Wilson and son, James, on Airplane Observation Patrol Post in Littleton Mass in December 1941 beginning of the War with the Axis.”
“The Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) was established by the federal government in early 1941 to organize volunteers nationwide to serve as airplane spotters, air raid wardens and fire brigades.
In December 1941 the Littleton Campfire Girls donated their camp building on Warren Street for use as a post for plane spotting. The building measured 10 feet by 10 feet and was moved by volunteers to the corner of Foster and Taylor streets. A wood stove was installed to provide heat in the winter.” (from “Littleton, Mass 1714-2014, Celebrating 300 Years of History”)
The Rev. John H. Wilson was minister of the Unitarian Church in the 1930s-1940s. In the 1940 census he lived on Foster street with his wife, Lucile and children John, Lewis, Jean and James.
Fun fact: Son Lewis Wilson was the first actor to play Batman on film in a 1943 serial!
- Jennifer Knox McCoyThanks for sharing all these stories. I really enjoy reading them all!Susan FougstedtMy sister, Marthie, used to do shifts with my father