Yank, the Army Weekly was a weekly magazine published from 1942 through 1945 and distributed to members of the American military during World War II. Yank included war news, photography, and other features. It had a circulation of more than 2.6 million. One of its most popular features, intended to boost the morale of military personnel serving overseas, was the weekly publication of a pin-up photograph. [1]
A feature story in Parade published in 1945 noted: "Excellent war reporting and photography, serious discussions of postwar problems and the now famous Sad Sack cartoons have made Yank welcome on far-flung battle lines. But the page most often torn out and tacked up for future reference on barrack walls and foot lockers is the one bearing the official insigne, 'Yank Pin-Up Girl.'" [2]
Yank pin-ups were distributed to locations worldwide where American soldiers, sailors, and Marines were serving. In 1944, the Associated Press published a report that pin-up pictures from Yank were discovered on display on the wall of the chief's hut in a remote jungle village in Burma. [3] According to an account published by the Central Press, American pilots in the Pacific planned to drop Yank pin-up photographs to Japanese soldiers with the inscription: "Eat your hearts out . . . Here's what we are fighting for." [4]
The women who posed for the pin-ups included both famous and unknown actresses, dancers, athletes, and models. Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth, the most famous pin-up models of World War II, both appeared in Yank pin-ups. Grable appeared in June 1943 wearing a patriotic outfit standing in front of a large drum, and Hayworth in November 1943 in a black dress seated on steps decorated with musical notes and again in July 1944 wearing a two-piece bathing suit. [5] [6] [7]
Other famous actresses featured as Yank pin-ups included Lauren Bacall (November 1944), Ava Gardner (September 1943), Ingrid Bergman (April 1944 and March 1945), Gene Tierney (February 1944 and March 1945), Jane Russell (January 1943, March 1943 (credited as "The Best-known Eyes in the Army"), and September 1945), Susan Hayward (October 1945), Donna Reed (April 1943 and November 1945), and Lucille Ball (July 1943 and March 1945). The women included as Yank pin-ups included at least two African-Americans: pianist and singer Hazel Scott (March 1943) and singer/actress Lena Horne (July 1943). [8] [9] A few women appeared three times as Yank pin-ups. They included actresses Ramsay Ames, Dusty Anderson, Anne Gwynne, Dolores Moran, and Jane Russell, big-band singer Janet Blair, and swimming champion and actress Esther Williams. [6] [7] [10]
The models featured as Yank pin-ups included one man. In the May 30, 1943 issue, Yank featured a cover photograph of a soldier with the caption: "Pin-up for WAACs. This dog-tagged Dorothy Lamour is S Sgt. Charles Gardocki, and he's sweating out the war somewhere in the Pacific. Hirsute, h'ain't he?" [11] In the issue dated August 24, 1945, published less than two weeks after Victory over Japan Day, Yank featured the Statue of Liberty as its first non-human "pin-up girl". [12]
The following is a list of the women (and one man) featured in Yank pin-ups:
Name | Photo 1 | Photo 2 | Photo 3 | Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Burnu Acquanetta | 1944-09-01 | [7] | |||
Ramsay Ames | 1943-12-26 1945-04-10 1945-04-20 | [13] [10] | |||
Dusty Anderson | 1943-11-07 1945-12-14 1944-10-27 | [14] [10] [7] | |||
Gloria Anderson | 1944-03-31 1944-04-16 | [7] | |||
Lois Andrews | 1943-06-20 | [15] | |||
Evelyn Ankers | 1945-07-13 | [10] | |||
Lenore Aubert | 1943-04-18 | [16] | |||
Vivian Austin | 1945-11-09 | [10] | |||
Bettye Avery | 1943-10-31 | [17] | |||
Lauren Bacall | 1944-11-24 | [7] | |||
Lucille Ball | 1943-07-25 1945-03-23 | [18] [10] | |||
Lynn Bari | 1944-10-13 | [7] | |||
Barbara Bates | 1945-05-04 | [10] | |||
Anne Baxter | 1943-04-25 | [19] | |||
Belita | 1944-09-22 | [7] | |||
Ingrid Bergman | 1944-04-28 1945-03-16 | [7] [10] | |||
Julie Bishop | 1944-09-17 | [20] | |||
Vivian Blaine | 1944-08-18 | [7] | |||
Janet Blair | 1943-03-28 1944-03-05 1944-08-11 | [21] [22] [7] | |||
Sherry Britton | 1945-12-09 | ||||
Hazel Brooks | 1944-12-22 | [7] | |||
Leslie Brooks | 1943-02-07 1944-04-30 | [23] [24] | |||
Betty Bryant | 1944-03-03 | [7] | |||
Janis Carter | 1945-01-05 | [10] | |||
Marguerite Chapman | 1943-10-10 1944-11-17 | [25] [7] | |||
Pat Clark | 1945-02-05 1945-11-16 | [10] | |||
Eileen Coghlan | 1945-09-14 | [10] | |||
Lois Collier | 1944-01-23 | [26] | |||
Peggy Corday | 1944-06-23 | [7] | |||
Ann Corio | 1943-09-03 | [6] | |||
Mildred Cowles | |||||
Jeanne Crain | 1944-06-30 1945-08-31 | [7] [10] | |||
Betty Anne Cregan | 1945-12-07 | [10] | |||
Rita Daigle | 1944-12-15 | [7] | |||
Patricia Dane | 1944-01-28 | [7] | |||
Linda Darnell | 1944-05-12 | [7] | |||
Dorothy Day | 1943-08-13 | [6] | |||
Yvonne DeCarlo | 1944-06-18 | [27] | |||
Gloria DeHaven | 1945-06-22 | [10] | |||
Olivia de Havilland | 1944-02-13 | [28] | |||
Jo-Carroll Dennison | 1943-07-30 | [6] | |||
Dona Drake | 1943-05-23 | [29] | |||
Deanna Durbin | 1945-01-19 (Continental edition) | [10] | |||
Jinx Falkenburg | 1945-04-27 | [10] | |||
Rhonda Fleming | 1944-11-05 | [30] | |||
Carole Gallagher | 1944-02-11 | [7] | |||
Mary Ganly | 1944-11-10 | [7] | |||
Ava Gardner | 1943-09-05 | [31] | |||
Charles Gardocki ("Pin-up for WAACs") | 1943-05-30 | [11] | |||
Cindy Garner | 1945-04-06 | [10] | |||
Frances Gifford | 1943-05-16 | [32] | |||
Betty Grable | 1943-06-11 1943-12-12 | [6] [33] | |||
Betty Jane Graham | 1944-09-15 | [7] | |||
Angela Greene | 1944-07-14 | [7] | |||
Anne Gwynne | 1943-02-14 1943-12-03 1944-06-11 | [34] [6] [7] | |||
June Haver | 1945-03-92 | [10] | |||
Susan Hayward | 1945-10-26 | [10] | |||
Rita Hayworth | 1943-11-28 1944-07-07 | [35] [7] | |||
Martha Holliday | 1945-12-21 | [10] | |||
Lena Horne | 1943-07-04 | [9] | |||
Betty Hutton | 1943-01-24 | [36] | |||
Mary Anne Hyde | 1942-10-29 | [6] | |||
Adele Jergens | 1945-07-20 1945-11-02 | [10] | |||
Candy Jones | 1945-01-12 | [10] | |||
Virginia Kavanagh | 1945-06-15 | [10] | |||
Daun Kennedy | 1945-10-19 | [10] | |||
Evelyn Keyes | 1944-03-04 | [7] | |||
Andrea King | 1945-08-10 | [10] | |||
Elyse Knox | 1943-10-22 1945-08-17 | [6] [37] | |||
Veronica Lake | 1943-02-21 | [38] | |||
Hedy Lamarr | 1943-05-09 1943-11-14 | [39] [40] | |||
Carole Landis | 1943-04-02 | [6] | |||
Joan Lawrence | 1944-07-28 | [7] | |||
Joan Leslie | 1943-08-29 1945-09-18 | [41] [10] | |||
Diana Lewis | 1944-01-02 1944-12-08 | [42] [7] | |||
Marjorie Lord | 1943-06-13 | [43] | |||
Ida Lupino | 1943-08-22 1944-02-27 | [44] [45] | |||
Selene Mahri | 1944-12-01 | [7] | |||
Dorothy Malone | 1945-04-13 | [10] | |||
Gail Manners | 1943-10-24 | [6] | |||
Irene Manning | 1944-03-24 | [7] | |||
Madelon Mason | 1945-07-06 | [10] | |||
Virginia Mayo | 1944-01-14 | [7] | |||
Grace McDonald | 1943-09-19 | [46] | |||
Marie McDonald | 1944-08-25 | [7] | |||
Doris Merrick | 1943-05-02 | [47] | |||
Ann Miller | 1943-12-19 1945-06-29 | [48] [10] | |||
Maria Montez | 1942-11-29 | [6] | |||
Dolores Moran | 1943-04-11 1943-08-08 1944-04-09 | [49] [50] [7] | |||
Diana Mumby | 1944-08-20 | [51] | |||
Jane Nigh | 1944-11-03 | [7] | |||
Virginia O'Brien | 1944-02-18 | [7] | |||
Martha O'Driscoll | 1944-04-14 | [7] | |||
Maureen O'Hara | 1943-05-30 | [52] | |||
Sylvia Opert | 1943-01-31 | [53] | |||
Eleanor Parker | 1943-08-01 | [54] | |||
Jean Parker | 1944-09-24 | [7] | |||
Virginia Patton | 1943-06-27 | [55] | |||
Susan Peters | 1943-07-11 | [56] | |||
Nancy Porter | 1945-06-08 | [10] | |||
Frances Rafferty | 1943-09-16 1945-10-12 | [6] [10] | |||
Ella Raines | 1944-07-09 1945-08-17 | [57] [10] | |||
Jane Randolph | 1942-06-17 | [6] | |||
Donna Reed | 1943-04-04 1945-11-02 | [58] [10] | |||
Elaine Riley | 1944-10-29 | [59] | |||
Gale Robbins | 1944 | ||||
Jean Rogers | 1943-07-18 | [60] | |||
Lina Romay | 1945-05-18 | [10] | |||
Jane Russell | 1943-01-17 1943-03-07 (credited as "The Best-known Eyes in the Army") 1945-09-21 | [61] [62] [10] | |||
Sheila Ryan | 1944-05-05 1945-07-27 | [7] [10] | |||
Ann Savage | 1944-02-04 | [7] | |||
Hazel Scott | 1943-03-21 | [8] | |||
Lizabeth Scott | 1945-02-02 1945-11-23 | [10] | |||
Hilda Simms | 1945-02-16 | [10] | |||
Alexis Smith | 1943-02-28 1943-09-24 1945-03-18 | [63] [64] | |||
Ann Sothern | 1942-12-27 | [65] | |||
Juanita Stark | 1943-10-08 | [6] | |||
K. T. Stevens | 1944-05-19 | [7] | |||
Gale Storm | 1944-03-10 | [7] | |||
Gene Tierney | 1944-02-25 1945-05-25 | [7] [10] | |||
Audrey Totter | 1945-08-24 | [10] | |||
Colleen Townsend | 1944-12-29 | [7] | |||
Jean Trent | 1945-03-30 | [10] | |||
Martha Vickers | 1945-05-11 | [10] | |||
June Vincent | 1944-07-21 | [7] | |||
Frances Vorne | 1945-02-23 | [10] | |||
Cheryl Walker | 1944-06-16 | [7] | |||
Bunny Waters | 1943-09-12 | [66] | |||
Wilde Twins | 1945-08-03 | [10] | |||
Chili Williams | 1944-03-17 | [7] | |||
Esther Williams | 1943-03-14 1944-04-23 1945-10-12 | [67] [68] [10] | |||
Teresa Wright | 1943-01-10 | [69] | |||
Nan Wynn | 1943-06-06 1944-01-09 | [70] [6] | |||
Audrey Young | 1945-11-30 | [10] |
Ella Wallace Raines was an American film and television actress active from the early 1940s through the mid-1950s. Described as "sultry" and "mysterious", the green-eyed star appeared frequently in crime pictures and film noir, but also in drama, comedy, Westerns, thrillers, and romance.
Evelyn Felisa Ankers was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably The Wolf Man (1941) opposite Lon Chaney Jr., a frequent screen partner.
Yank, the Army Weekly was a weekly magazine published by the United States military during World War II.
Irving David Breger was an American cartoonist who created the syndicated Mister Breger (1945–1970), a gag panel series and Sunday comic strip known earlier as Private Breger and G.I. Joe. The series led to widespread usage of the term "G.I. Joe" during World War II and later. Dave Breger was his signature and the byline on his books. During World War II, his cartoons were signed Sgt. Dave Breger.
Ruth "Dusty" Anderson was an American actress and model who worked in the 1940s. She was a World War II pin-up model and appeared in the Yank magazine.
Ann Corio was a prominent American burlesque stripper and actress. Her original surname was Coiro, changing it to Corio for stage purposes and because some family members did not approve of her profession.
Jack Banham Coggins was an artist, author, and illustrator. He is known in the United States for his oil paintings, which focused predominantly on marine subjects. He is also known for his books on space travel, which were both authored and illustrated by Coggins. Besides his own works, Coggins also provided illustrations for advertisements and magazine covers and articles.
John A. Bushemi was an American, best known for his service as a World War II combat photographer and filmmaker for the U.S. Army. Bushemi, the son of Sicilian immigrants, was born in Centerville, Iowa, and grew up in Taylorville, Illinois, and Gary, Indiana. He joined the Gary Post-Tribune in 1936 as an apprentice photographer and became known for his sports photography. While working at the Post-Tribune he earned the nickname of "One Shot" for his abilities to capture moments on film with one click of his camera shutter. Bushemi enlisted in the army in June 1941. After taking basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he remained there as a staff photographer in its public relations office. In June 1942 Bushemi was reassigned as a staff photographer to Yank, a weekly magazine for enlisted men, and was based in its editorial office in New York City. In November 1942 Bushemi was transferred to Hawaii, where he and Yank correspondent Merle Miller opened its Pacific bureau.
Gale Robbins was an American actress and singer.
Ramsay Ames was a leading 1940s American B movie actress, model, dancer, pin-up girl and television hostess. As a dancer, she was billed as Ramsay D'el Rico.
Madelon Mason was an American former model and pin-up girl from the early 1940s to the early 1950s.
Elaine Riley was an American film and television actress.
The Army Hour was a radio news program in the United States, broadcast on NBC April 5, 1942-Nov. 11, 1945.
Dorothy Elizabeth Garner was an American actress and model.
Carole Gallagher was an American film actress and the second wife of actor Dick Foran. She is best known for her roles in The Falcon Out West (1944) and The Denver Kid (1948).
Martha Holliday was an American actress and dancer. She was a prima ballerina with the Pro-Arte Ballet Company in Havana, Cuba, and had a starring role as the romantic feminine lead in the film George White's Scandals (1945). She also appeared as a pin-up model in Yank, the Army Weekly.
Frances Vorne was an American model and pin-up girl. During World War II, she was known as "the Shape".
Selene Mahri, also known as Selene Eklund Weaver, was a Finnish-American fashion model and pin-up girl. During World War II, she appeared on the covers of Vogue, Life, and Cosmopolitan. She was also the poster girl and face of the WAVES and a pin-up girl for Yank, the Army Weekly.
Chili Williams, born Marian Sorenson, also known as the Polka Dot Girl and later known as Marian Uhlman, was an American Pin-up model and actress. A photograph of her wearing a polka-dot bikini appeared in Life magazine in 1943 and became one of the most popular pin-up photographs of World War II. Following the popularity of her pin-up photographs, she also appeared in approximately 20 motion pictures between 1944 and 1952.
Jean Trent was an American film actress and the wife of actor Ray Montgomery. She is best known for her roles in Western Mail (1942) and Salome, Where She Danced (1945). She was referred as a "beautiful Universal starlet."