Civil Defense, Air Raid shelters and blackouts in Atlanta area during WWII

In 2021, Dr. Howard Cotton shared with me what it was like in Boston as a 12 year old after Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. As a child, he was concerned that his town could be invaded or bombed as had happened to cities in other parts of the world. He remembers, “All automobile headlights were required to have black paint covering the top 1/3-1/2 to lessen visible light from possible bombers at night.” Cotton’s dad served as an air raid warden as part of the Civil Defense Corp, patrolling the neighborhood to ensure no lights were visible during air raid drills.

That made me wonder about Atlanta. Were precautions in place for Atlanta?

Before the U.S. entered WWII, Atlanta and other cities were receiving instructions on what actions should be taken. Atlanta was considered a railway and air transportation gateway in 1941. A May 2, 1941 article in the Atlanta Constitution originating from Washington, D. C., gave information about what steps Atlanta needed to take. Frank Bane, Director of the Division of State and Local Co-operation, Office of Emergency Management did not want to cause hysteria in the city. He advised Atlanta there was no immediate need for air-raid shelters, but they should give thought to what steps they would take if they were necessary in the future.

A pamphlet was provided, “Civil Defense Protective Construction.” However, Frank Bane cautioned that, “The issuance of this bulletin is not the signal for starting work on any of the protective structures described.” Once again, he advised plans should be prepared, “even though we hope they will never have to be put into effect.”

The information in the pamphlet was mostly technical information based on the experiences of European cities since the beginning of WWII. Many entrances and at least two exits were recommended for air-raid shelters. They would need to provide necessary conveniences and first aid facilities. It was also suggested they be built in a way that could be utilized during peace time. Perhaps they could serve as a garage, storage shed or bank vault.

Just three days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor an air-raid shelter was announced in Decatur at 401 Oakland Street, the home of Mrs. W. Guy Hudson, Executive Secretary of DeKalb Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce. The 1500 square foot concrete underground structure already existed before Pearl Harbor, having served as a city sewerage disposal tank 20 years earlier. A flower garden was planted at ground level.

In November of 1942, an air raid shelter was opened at the Municipal Market on Edgewood Road in Atlanta.

By February 1942, 20,000 people had already completed a 25-hour course and received certificates as Atlanta air raid wardens. The first certificates were issued at Grant Park School.

Registration of DeKalb County citizens for civilian defense positions began December 15, 1941. The DeKalb County Civilian Defense Corps, under the leadership of Vernon Frank, met in the 401 Oakland Street shelter for coffee and donuts. The shelter was complete with electric lights and running water. (Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 10, 1941, “DeKalb Boasts First Air Raid Shelter in Dixie.”)

A blackout test was held on February 26, 1942. You can read more about blackouts in the Atlanta area in my recent Dunwoody Crier article here.

Also, look for this article of memories of Pearl Harbor Day, published in the Dunwoody Crier in 2021 to commemorate the 80th anniversary.

McGaughey home was Serviceman's Shelter

Carroll and Effie McGaughey announced a house-warming party at their new summer home on Spruill Road in Dunwoody in 1939. The Dec. 30, 1939, Atlanta Constitution Society Events column included the announcement, using the alternate spelling of Spruell Road. The gathering was also in honor of their debutante daughter, Mary McGaughey. The couple would later make the Dunwoody home their primary home.

Carroll McGaughey was an electrical engineer and owner of McGaughey Electrical Company.  Effie McGaughey operated an antique shop called Backdoor Studios out of their Atlanta home on Lombardy Way.  The McGaughey’s had two sons, Carroll Jr. and Carrick, in addition to their daughter Mary.

When the United States entered World War II and Lawson General Hospital opened in nearby Chamblee, Effie McGaughey began thinking of ways to help recovering soldiers.  The McGaugheys turned their home from a social gathering spot to a place for relaxation and recreation for injured soldiers, the Serviceman’s Shelter.

Ethel Spruill and Elizabeth Davis describe the McGaughey place in their book The Story of Dunwoody. “Using a rustic building on the McGaughey property and colorful festive lanterns, church groups, community clubs, and Atlanta groups took turns at entertaining the boys and furnishing food and dance partners.” 

This 1945 photo of patients from Lawson General Hospital at the McGaughey home appears in The Story of Dunwoody, by Elizabeth L. Davis and Ethel W. Spruill.

By 1944 a group of Atlanta women including Effie McGaughey had organized a committee to plan parties for convalescing soldiers at various homes around Atlanta.  An article in the July 12, 1944 issue of The Atlanta Constitution titled Many Parties are Planned for Convalescent Officers describes the upcoming schedule of parties.  The following Friday evening a barbeque supper would be held at the home of Carroll and Effie McGaughey.  The guests would be entertained with swimming, music by the Tech band, and a movie shown on an outdoor screen. 

The schedule for the next two weeks includes parties on Habersham Road and another on Tuxedo Road in Atlanta, followed by a gathering at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ryburn Clay on their Chattahoochee River country place known as Lazy River Farm.  The Clay summer estate was on what is now Clay Drive off Spalding Drive.

The McGaugheys place was for the enjoyment of all recovering soldiers.  One soldier from Lawson General Hospital who lost the use of his legs often got a ride to their home courtesy of the Red Cross.  Upon arrival, he would enjoy swimming in the pool. 

The Serviceman’s Shelter and use of the McGaughey’s swimming pool continued into 1946.  In August of that year they hosted veterans of both World War I and World War II, arranged by Veterans Hospital Number 48 in Brookhaven and financed by the Elks Club. (The Atlanta Constitution, August 16, 1946, Veterans Feted by Elks Group)

Effie McGaughey also helped during World War II by donating a movable kitchen in 1942.  The kitchen was operated by the Atlanta Red Cross Canteen Corps and was able to serve two thousand meals and forty thousand cups of hot coffee per day. 

Lawson General Hospital Dental training, Co. G, MDTS

Glenn H. Curtis

I’m pleased to share the history of Glenn H. Curtis, who spent time training in the MDTS (Medical Department Technicians School) at Lawson General Hospital in Chamblee, Georgia during World War II. Curtis received dental training at Lawson between December 1942 to February 1943.

MDTS began at Lawson General in 1942 and continued into 1945. MDTS started out with 50 people being trained as laboratory technicians, 50 in dental training, 125 in medical training, 125 in surgical training, 50 in x-ray training. The full name of the training program was Medical Department Enlisted Technicians School. In 1943, the numbers had increased in each area, including 106 dental trainees. The website of AMEDD includes history of the Army Medical Department and includes data of the various Medical Department Technician Schools across the US during WWII.

In addition to treating patients at Lawson General Hospital, men (and women with the Red Cross) were being trained to provide medical and dental care to injured soldiers. Lawson reported their students trained through “lectures, demonstration, and by actually performing over and over again the various procedures. Performance of the procedures, under close supervision, is the most important part of their training.”

Glenn Curtis’ son Gary Curtis shared memories and history he has gathered about his father’s WWII service. Glenn was born Jan. 28,1920. His WWII registration card shows he was 21 years old, working as a driver for Hanna Market in Rochester, New York.

As far as his time at Lawson General Hospital in Georgia, he didn’t share much about his service. He did talk a little about Georgia Tech and could sing the school fight song. He said he enjoyed his time in school in Georgia and at Jefferson Barracks, MO, where he was sent next.

The dental training he received would eventually be used to identify victims in aircraft training crashes in the U.S. I can only imagine that this would be difficult and stressful work, with a lot of sadness and emotions.

Dental section, Day class, MDTS Lawson General Hospital February 1943

Loren Brown, a childhood friend of Glenn Curtis from Rochester, New York was also in the MDTS program at Lawson. Brown’s fiance Lois Howell and Curtis’ girlfriend and later wife, Mildred, and Curtis’ sister Joyce Curtis visited the two men in Chamblee. They stayed in a cottage at the nearby W. O. Pierce Dairy. Visitors to patients and staff of Lawson General Hospital and trainees of MDTS usually stayed in nearby homes. There were no hotels in Chamblee at the time.

Lois Howell facing camera and Mildred Curtis facing the cottage at Pierce Dairy Farm, where they stayed on a visit to Lawson General Hospital in Chamblee during WWII.

Loren Brown stands in front of the W. O Pierce Dairy Farm in Chamblee. Brown and his friend from Rochester Glenn Curtis were in the medical training program at Lawson General Hospital.

Glenn Curtis and Mildred became engaged during her visit and they went to a jeweler on Peachtree Street in Atlanta for a ring.

While at Jefferson Barracks, MO, Glenn Curtis was injured playing baseball. Baseball teams were popular at bases across the country. Curtis is documented as being at O’Reilly Hospital during the last part of 1943 and his son believes this may have been a result of the injury.

Glenn Curtis and his brother Robert registered on the same day in Rochester, New York in January 1942. Robert Curtis served with the Army in France. Glenn would like to have served overseas, but either due to his injury or the timing of his training, he remained in the U.S. Every person who served either in the states or overseas was crucial to the cause.

After the war, Curtis opened an Amoco gasoline station near his home in Rochester. He later worked for the post office, retiring after 17 years. He also operated an antique store with his wife.

Below is the timeline of Glenn Curtis’ service:

Army Air Forces Technical Training Command St. Petersburg, Florida, Nov. through Dec. 1942

Lawson General Hospital, Chamblee, GA, Co. G, MDTS, dental, Dec. 42 to Feb. 1943

Army Air Forces Station Hospital Chicago, IL, March to June 1943

25th Training Group Squad C, Jefferson Barracks, MO, July to Oct. 1943

O’Reilly Hospital, Springfield, MO, end of 1943

Return to 25th Training Group, Jefferson Barracks

18th Replacement Wing, Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 1944

Walker Army Air Force base in Victoria Kansas, where his wife may have joined him until he moved on.

Worked at Pressed Steel Car Company, McKees Rocks, PA, a rail car manufacturing company that produced tanks during WW2.

3706 Army Air Forces Squad H. Sheppard Field TX, July 1945 to Sept. 1945

1060 Army Air Forces Squad E Sept thru Jan or Feb 1946

Thank you to Gary Curtis, who reached out and shared this history and amazing photos of his Dad and his time at Lawson General Hospital.

Happy 100th Birthday Frank Stovall!

Read about Frank Stovall here. He is an amazing veteran, father, grandfather and great grandfather who loves to play singles tennis.

Frank Stovall on the tennis court. He played a game of singles on his 100th birthday.

Marjorie and Frank Stovall during World War II.

Frank Stovall with five of his twelve great grandchildren.

Demonstration of lasso skills!