Page 47 - All About History - Issue 70-18

The Eton Crop and
spit curl hairstyle
that Josephine wore
became iconic

held a misguided belief that she was on their
side, because of an Associated Press report from
1935, which stated Josephine supported Benito
Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia. This declaration
had stemmed from her hope that the invasion Josephine performing for British troops on leave
would bring an end to the Ethiopian empire, which
still practised slavery. Not forgetting the Allied troops who were magazine, Josephine’s accounts of racism shocked
Nonetheless, Josephine was firmly on the risking their lives, Josephine travelled throughout readers across the pond.
Allies’ side. To pass on confidential information the war entertaining them with morale-boosting Despite her popularity across Europe, Josephine
undetected, she wrote it in invisible ink on her performances for free. She partly conducted these struggled to find American venues that would
music sheets or concealed information in her trips hoping that after the war, the men would allow her to perform. Instead, she chose to do
underwear – counting on her fame to prevent a remember her efforts to cheer them up would a tour of Latin America between 1950 and 1951
strip search. She even accepted an honorary role stop them developing any racist notions. that was a great success, most notably in Cuba.
as a sub-lieutenant in the Women’s Auxiliary of the After the war, Josephine became the first Josephine became so popular that clubs back in
Free Free French Air Force and raised thousands of American woman to receive the Croix de Guerre America were clamouring to sign her.
francs for the Free French Forces. and Rosette de la Résistance for her efforts, and One of them, Copa City in Miami, was a game
When Germany invaded France, Belgium and was also awarded the Légion d’Honneur. changer for Josephine. The owner, Ned Schuyler,
the Netherlands in 1940, As the ravages of the wanted to sign Josephine but she refused,
refugees flooded into war finally came to an knowing that the audience would be segregated.
Paris and Josephine end, Josephine decided
volunteered her help, to make a change. No A publicity
portrait of
visiting shelters and hiding “To pass on confidential longer would she sit by Josephine
Jewish refugees from the and watch as racism Baker in
Nazis. She even housed information undetected, continued to run rife military
uniform
her friends from the in America, making her from 1944
French Resistance in the she wrote it in invisible feel like an outcast in
château she rented at Les her birth country. Now
Milandes in the south of ink on her music sheets married to her fourth
France, helping them to husband, Jo Bouillon,
obtain visas. Josephine returned to
In 1941, Josephine or concealed information America in 1948.
undertook a secret Immediately, she
mission in the French to her underwear” experienced the same
Colonies located in bitter racism as before,
North Africa. Under the with 36 hotels refusing
guise that she had gone to give the couple
to recover from a bout reservations when they
of pneumonia, Josephine was actually there to arrived in New York City.
establish a liaison and transmission centre with Though unsurprised, an appalled Josephine
British intelligence. She also helped to develop a decided to investigate discrimination herself
network that made Spanish Moroccan passports and travelled to the south in disguise, so that
for Eastern European Jews, which allowed them to her status would not affect the way she was
escape to South America. treated. Documenting her experiences in a French

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