1943 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A PORTSMOUTH NAVAL YARD WORKER WHO DETAILS HER WORK AND DUTIES AND HOMEFRONT LIFE AND PROVIDES EPHEMERAL PROOF OF AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

On offer is a super, original, historic 1943 manuscript and ephemeral relic of the United States War effort, American enthusiasm for the cause and a fascinating home front look at a young American woman's contribution and service. Handwritten by 25 year old Ellen Frances Tobey [later Washburn] of Kittery Point Maine she worked at the Portsmouth Naval Ship Yard and kept a small 2½ x 4¼ inch diary wherein Ellen did a wonderful job filling the small book with all the details and duties of her life and those around her. Of particular interest to historians and collectors of the war ephemera will be the treasured mementoes Ellen included in the book being 19 launch tags each created to commemorate the completion and launching of submarines that would soon confront the German and Japanese navies. The submarines launched are: USS Capelin, USS Crevalle, USS Apogon, USS Batfish, the renowned USS Archerfish, USS Burrfish, USS Sand Lance, USS Pampanito, USS Picuda, USS Parche, USS Bang, USS Pilotfish, USS Pintado, USS Pipefish, USS Pomfret, USS Sterlet, USS Piranha, USS Plaice and the USS Queenfish. Ellen, a very active Pythian sister, was born January 9th,1918, died in April 1st, 2000, was we believe in the purchase section of the supply department for the Navy Yard and seems to have made a point of attending the submarine launches. The launch tags are stapled (by the string not the tag itself) into the diary on the days of the launch. Overall the book and the tags are VG. BIO NOTES: LIVERMORE FALLS, Maine - Ellen F. Washburn, 82, died late Sunday night, April 1, in the comfort of her home on Munsey Avenue with her family at her side. She was born Jan. 9, 1918, in Kittery Point, Maine, the daughter of Charles G. and Cordelia (Wildes) Tobey. She received her education in Beverly, Mass., graduating from Beverly High School in the Class of '35. She continued her education at Hawthorne Business School in Salem, Mass. She was employed at a fish market in Salem, Mass., and moved back to Kittery Point, where she was employed by a finance company. She retired from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard after 20 years of service and on August 25, 1962, married S. Paul Washburn at the Kittery Point Congregational Church. After moving to Livermore Falls, she was one of the first employees during the construction of the Androscoggin Mill, International Paper Co., and worked in the engineering department. He later was a bookkeeper for New England Furniture Co. and Dunton Department Stores in Livermore Falls. She was active in many fraternal organizations. She was a 50-year member of the Rebekahs, the Order of the Eastern Star and Pythian Sisters. She was a past president of The Rebekah Assembly of Maine, a past Worthy Matron of the Eastern Star in both Kittery and Livermore Falls, and was a secretary of the local lodge of Pythian Sisters.; Manuscript; 48mo - over 3" - 4" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, ELLEN FRANCES TOBEY WASHBURN, PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIP YARD, SUBMARINE LAUNCH TAGS, USN, SHIP BUILDING, HOMEFRONT EFFORT, GERMAN NAVY, KRIEGSMARINE, PYTHIAN SISTERS, SISTERS OF PYTHIAS, LIVERMORE FALLS, MAINE, ELLEN F. WASHBURN, HOME FRONT, WWII, WW2, WORLD WAR II, WORLD WAR 2, NAVY, MARINE, NAUTICAL, NAVAL WARFARE, SUBMARINES, SUBMARINERS, USS CAPELIN, USS CREVALLE, USS APOGON, USS BATFISH, USS ARCHERFISH, USS BURRFISH, USS SAND LANCE, USS PAMPANITO, USS PICUDA, USS PARCHE, USS BANG, USS PILOTFISH, USS PINTADO, USS PIPEFISH, USS POMFRET, USS STERLET, USS PIRANHA, USS PLAICE AND THE USS QUEENFISH, AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, AUTOGRAPHED, AUTHORS, AMERICANA, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, ARCHIVE, DIARY, DIARIES, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D'ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL,