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Martha Ruth (Lady)
Ferris
Christine Pollock wrote, I believe that my great-uncle’s wife, Martha
Ruth (Lady) Ferris, (they divorced sometime in the late 40s/early 50s)
worked at the center. In a typed memoir Martha says:
I finished my studies. Had
friend, did well, got my work featured in national magazines in the
school ad and got a job working for Signal Corps in the old Paramount
Studios in Long Island City.
I had good friends at work.
One man taught me insulting Yiddish, another taught me nice Yiddish.
The supervisor was a veteran and Italian, my favorite was a
veteran and from NC who knew how to get gas coupons and gave me a ride
to work in the last year or so.
One was a big Iowan who'd stayed in France after WWI but had to
bring his French wife and daughter here at the outbreak of WWII.
One was a New York kid of German extraction, the secretary was a
darling Green girl, one was a street-smart NY Jew and the #2 man was a
darling Jew who taught me all about deli food for lunch.
We were very cliquey, superior to officers, were known on
occasion to go far afield to a good restaurant and drink our lunch and
have to be confined with a developing film sign on the darkroom for the
afternoon ... or to hoist the sign and throw a party.
I found my farewell party picture last night with the captain in
charge muscled in. I don't
recall a party and I don't recall him ever being invited.
EVER.
Celebrities teemed around the place ... A film crew graduated and
shipped out every six weeks.
We did the ID photos, printed the officers’ personal film when
they returned from overseas jaunts and Photostatted top-secret military
stuff of all kinds. Nothing
from the Pacific, all Europe.
The lowest point came when we were pinned down at Salerno, we
were working 2 nights a week over-time - all we could stand- and it was
Christmas time. We were the
nerve center and at the Christmas party, kept to ourselves, didn't
mingle at all, and made it quite evident that we were a cut above.
But it was terrible depressing to stat battle plans and troop
locations that were mired down in the mud, forever it seemed.
I think it was Salerno.
Christine added, “Thanks for compiling the website.
My great-uncle's name was Dillon Ferris.
He was a photographer for Yank magazine and worked primarily in
the Pacific theater, which is why Martha mentions nothing from the
Pacific. He tended to
travel with the Barrett McGurn and/or Bob Greenhalgh.”
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