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Catherine Sarnowski
Oral history interview conducted by Benjamin Filene
November 04, 1987
Call number: 1995.005.006
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And a whole gang of us would get together, and you know,
spend a few days there.BENJAMIN FILENE: This is at the Rainbow Lodge?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Yes.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Where is that?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Greenville, New York.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Huh. I see. What did you do there?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Eh... I'd say in about '42, '43.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Uh-huh. And what, what sort of things did you do there?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Well, we all got together to go on the different mountain tops
BENJAMIN FILENE: Mm-hmm.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And uh, go bird hunting and turtle hunting, things like that.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Oh, that sounds fun.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: To get away from the Navy yard for a while. [laughter]
BENJAMIN FILENE: [laughter] So was it a good place for women workers to work or
was it difficult?CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: It was difficult.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Yeah? Why is that?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Well, I myself worked in the annex, which I imagine in the
wintertime was about ten below.BENJAMIN FILENE: Oh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: That if you took your gloves off and touched the metal, you
1:00left a piece of your skin on it.BENJAMIN FILENE: Ugh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And, uh, I had a brother working with me and then he left
to go to the service.BENJAMIN FILENE: Mm-hmm.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And I had a girlfriend working that left to go to the service.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Mm-hmm.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And, uh, oh, we knew all the supervisors and you know, it
was an experience.BENJAMIN FILENE: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Really an experience. I started as a tack welder
BENJAMIN FILENE: Right.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And I went up to first class.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Right. And was that, um, was, how unusual was that?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Well--
BENJAMIN FILENE: For a woman to be doing that?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: It was hard.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Yeah?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: You had a lot of, uh, schoolwork to do. And you had to take
the nightshift to go to the lessons and all. And--BENJAMIN FILENE: Oh, really?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI:--then traveling, because I lived in the Bronx...
BENJAMIN FILENE: Yeah.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And then we had to go to Navy yard by the "L," the 3rd
Avenue L. [laughter]BENJAMIN FILENE: Mm-hmm.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And we were all in on the Sands Street Gates.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Right.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: I don't know if it's still there or not.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Um, so when you, you said you had to go to school. Does that...
mean when they were training you? 2:00CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Right, right.
BENJAMIN FILENE: And you had to do that during the day?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Well, there's sometimes during the day, but mostly in the
evening when the... I, I don't know whether these fellows gave their time or what it was. You know.BENJAMIN FILENE: So, so because you were still being trained you had to work at
the night shift.CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Yes.
BENJAMIN FILENE: I see.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: That's right.
BENJAMIN FILENE: OK. And um, well, were you one of the few women welders there?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Oh, there was quite a number of us.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Yeah? Did you work only with women or were you working with the men?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: No, with the men.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Yeah?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And we had our own chippers which were men, and we had our
own fire watch on the ships, which were men.BENJAMIN FILENE: Uh-huh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: So, we were all, you know, mixed up.
BENJAMIN FILENE: And how, how was it with working with the men?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: It was good.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Yeah.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: There was no, uh, hmm, no discrimination of any kind.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Huh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: None whatsoever.
BENJAMIN FILENE: So how do you think they felt about having you there?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: I think they enjoyed a fact that we were there.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Hmm.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And we were really on some very tough jobs.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Sounds like, yeah.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Yes. I myself was working on the hot rods.
3:00BENJAMIN FILENE: What's that?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And that was working on the turrets.
BENJAMIN FILENE: On the what?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Turrets. Of the--
BENJAMIN FILENE: Turrets. Ah--
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Yeah.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Huh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And we also worked on the diving bells, which went down to
the submarines.BENJAMIN FILENE: Wow.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And uh, of course our work had to be excellent.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Mm-hmm.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Because if it wasn't the chipper was right there to chip it
out and you had to do it over.BENJAMIN FILENE: Mm.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: So. But it was interesting. And--
BENJAMIN FILENE: So, um--
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI:--maybe I'll get to see you at the, uh, exhibit.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Yeah, that--
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And talk to you. But it the meantime, like I said, I'm
going to get all my things together and I'll call you and we'll find out just what we're going to do. Mail it or send it or whatever.BENJAMIN FILENE: OK. I just have, want to ask you one more thing. Did, had you
had any experience doing this before you started there?CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: No. No.
BENJAMIN FILENE: How do you think you got the job then?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: I took a test.
BENJAMIN FILENE: What, what was on the test?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: They had a test and it was, uh, more of an aptitude test. I
mean, uh--BENJAMIN FILENE: You mean like math?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: What would you use a screwdriver for? Not a nail. You know.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Uh-huh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Things like that. And I got I think 87 points.
4:00BENJAMIN FILENE: Huh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: In fact, I still have the paper somewhere [laughter], if I
can find it.BENJAMIN FILENE: Huh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: And I was one of the first group that went in.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Wow.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Yeah.
BENJAMIN FILENE: So, it wasn't, was it math? Or was it, uh--the test. Was it a
math test or was it more like, you say... tools--CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: It was a whole, like a schoolroom. You went into and sat
down and got the test, and they gave you so much time to finish it in.BENJAMIN FILENE: Mm-hmm. But was it mostly on math or was it mostly on, on the tools?
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Everything.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Everything.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Everything.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Huh.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Yes.
BENJAMIN FILENE: I see. Well, it's very interesting. Um, thanks so much for your time.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: You're welcome and thank you for your time.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Yeah, and, uh, like you say, I'll, you can call me, or I'll be
in touch with you.CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Yes, I have your number now. That's 718-264--
BENJAMIN FILENE: No, no. Six--
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: 08--
BENJAMIN FILENE: 624.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Oh. I said "624," didn't I?
BENJAMIN FILENE: No.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: 718-624-0890
BENJAMIN FILENE: Right.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: OK. Fine.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Thanks a lot.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: BENJAMIN FILENE.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Right.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: OK. And I'll talk to you again.
BENJAMIN FILENE: Great. Bye-bye.
CATHERINE SARNOWSKI: Bye-bye.
5:00
Interview Description
Oral History Interview with Catherine Sarnowski
Catherine Hennings Sarnowski (ca. 1920- ) lived in the Bronx while working as a welder at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II. She began as a tack welder and later was promoted to first class.
In this brief interview, Catherine Hennings Sarnowski (ca. 1920- ) discusses her work as a welder, her long commute, working conditions at the Navy Yard, day trips and training for the job. She also talks about her experience working the night shift while going to school during the day. Interview conducted by Benjamin Filene.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard oral history collection is comprised of over fifty interviews of men and women who worked in or around the Brooklyn Navy Yard, primarily during World War II. The narrators discuss growing up in New York, their work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, their relationships with others at the Yard, gender relations and transportation to and from work. Many narrators bring up issues of ethnicity, race, and religion at the Yard or in their neighborhoods. Several people describe the launching of the USS Missouri battleship and recall in detail their daily tasks at the Yard (as welders, office workers and ship fitters). While the interviews focus primarily on experiences in and around the Yard, many narrators go on to discuss their lives after the Navy Yard, relating stories about their careers, dating and marriage, children, social activities, living conditions and the changes that took place in Manhattan and Brooklyn during their lifetimes.
Citation
Sarnowski, Catherine Hennings, ca. 1920-, Oral history interview conducted by Benjamin Filene, November 04, 1987, Brooklyn Navy Yard oral history collection, 1995.005.006; Brooklyn Historical Society.People
- New York Naval Shipyard
- Sarnowski, Catherine Hennings
Topics
- Accidents
- Commuters
- Ethnicity
- Friendship
- Shipbuilding
- Shipyards
- United States--Armed Forces--Civilian employees
- Welding
- Women--Employment
- Work environment
- World War, 1939-1945
Places
- Bronx (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Transcript
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Brooklyn Navy Yard oral history collection