Category: World War II

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Ten Gifts of the White Bus Rescue–Guest Blog

I wrote a blog in 2019 about The White Buses (click here to read the blog). It was the story of how Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish diplomat, negotiated with Himmler toward the end of World War II for the release of thousands of women imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps. Using buses painted white while adorned with the Red Cross symbol, the destination for the women was to be neutral Sweden and freedom. While many of them were saved from SS death marches as Soviet troops advanced westward, their journey through Germany on the White Buses was no less perilous.

White Bus no. 36. Photo by anonymous (c. April/May 1945). “When Sweden Rescued 31,000 Non-Swedes from Nazi Germany.” https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2017/08/09/the-white-buses/
White Bus no. 36. Photo by anonymous (c. April/May 1945). “When Sweden Rescued 31,000 Non-Swedes from Nazi Germany.” https://abitofhistoryblog.com/2017/08/09/the-white-buses/

One of our readers, Professor Roger Ritvo contacted me about the blog and filled me in on his research project about the White Buses. At some point in our discussions, I suggested he write a guest blog based on his research. (Co-authors of the article are Caitlyn Traffanstedt and Allison Stone.) Fortunately for us, Roger agreed, and I have had the opportunity to read their two articles, 10 Gifts from the White Bus Rescue of 15,345 Nazi Prisoners in 1945 (Part 1) and Ten Gifts (Part 2).

Our blog today is a collection of selected excerpts of the paper, and we have chosen several of the gifts to share with you.  I hope you enjoy this sampling and if you do, I have listed the links to their articles in the recommended reading section below. Read More Ten Gifts of the White Bus Rescue–Guest Blog

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The Petticoat Panel

Anyone familiar with Allied clandestine operations during World War II (e.g., British-led Special Operations Executive – SOE, Gen. de Gaulle’s Bureau Central de Renseignements et d’Action – BCRA, and America’s Office of Strategic Services – OSS) is aware of two things: first, women were used as undercover agents operating behind enemy lines and many of them were very successful. (Alas, too many female agents were executed by the Germans or killed in the line of duty.) Second, after the war, these women were either abandoned by their agencies or forced to work in pre-war job assignments (e.g., secretarial). Many of the former female field agents’ male bosses felt threatened, especially when the man had no field experience. Those attitudes held back many talented women who believed (and rightfully so) they had not only proved themselves but could contribute even more to a post-war world.

CIA clerks and typists. Photo by anonymous (c. 1952). CIA Archives.
CIA clerks and typists. Photo by anonymous (c. 1952). CIA Archives.

It was a “man’s world” back in those days and this was especially true in the world of espionage. Six years after the formation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), a group of women had a meeting with the agency’s new director, Allen Dulles (1893−1969), for the purpose of determining his attitude toward roles of women working for the CIA. During the meeting, they asked the director three pointed questions. (Soon after, a senior CIA manager called these women, the “Wise Gals.”) The outcome of this meeting was the formation of a thirteen-member panel to study the issues raised earlier. This group of women became known as the “Petticoat Panel.” Read More The Petticoat Panel