New England Shipbuilding Corporation Badge, South Portland, Maine, 1942-1945. Courtesy of the Maine Maritime Museum.
New England Shipbuilding Corporation Badge, South Portland, Maine, 1942-1945. Courtesy of the Maine Maritime Museum.
The shipyards of South Portland began hiring women to build ships for the first time in 1942. The shipyard workers wore badges for security reasons. Each employee had an assigned number, accompanied by a photograph.The woman's expression on this badge communicates a level of excitement about her new opportunities at the shipyard.