Karen asked Jennifer Egan:

In your research, did you find that women actually did deep sea diving with the crews that worked in the shipyard?

Jennifer Egan Good question. I interviewed a WWII diver who encountered a Russian woman diving in Cherbourg during the war, helping to clear the detritus the Germans exploded there to hinder the allies. Women did not dive for the US Navy until the 1970's, and for the Army until the 1980's (!). So it is quite unlikely that any women became civilian divers at the BNY or elsewhere in NY (there was a very robust civilian diving program in Manhattan, as well, helping to salvage the Normandie, a French liner that sank after catching fire on a Manhattan pier). However, it is certainly not impossible that women became civilian divers, and because the civilian diving program was not closely documented, we don't really know much about who did it, when, and for how long. That was my window of opportunity! Thank you so much for reading and all best, Jenny

flag