“War-Marriage Vampires” & “Allotment Annies”

They were called “War-Marriage Vampires,” “Fake War Brides,” "Allotment Wives,” “Allotment Brides,” “Allotment Annies” and “Victory Girls” – women who married multiple young men so they could fraudulently profit from the monthly government allotment checks they would receive for each husband and, when she got lucky, would when the husband died in battle receive a bonus payment.

An article published in 1950 stated that “hundreds of Allotment Annies were convicted of preying on servicemen during and after World War II. Convictions totaled 242 in 1946 but dropped to 47 in 1950, The effects of the Korean War will not be known for some time.” [Frances Spatz, “Allotment Annies are at it again,” The American Weekly (San Antonio Light) (Tx.), Dec. 17, 1950, p. 2]

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►►General Articles ◄◄

►World War I

[“Bigamy an Industry For Fake War Brides – U. S. Uncovers Thousands Of Cases Of Girls Marrying For Allowance and Insurance,” The Reading Eagle (Pa.), Nov. 3, 1918, p. 17]

[Paul N. Wilson, “’Halt War-Marriage Vampire!’ – Noted Judge Fights Alimony Drive On Veterans,” syndicated (NEA), Oct. 19, 1920, p. 3]

►World War II

[Ruth Reynolds, “The‘Victory Girls’; Bigamy Is Their Racket, Though They Claim Marriages to Servicemen Are Prompted by Love and Patriotism - Government Calls it Greed for Allotment Checks.” The Everyday Magazine (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, (Mo.)), Oct.31, 1943, p. 1]

[Mickey Macdougall, “Legions of Larceny; No.2 — Allotment Brides,” American Weekly (Magazine section of San Antonio Light) (San Antonio, Tx.), Jun. 4, 1944, p. 4?]

[Geraldine Smith, “Mother-In-Law As Informer,” The Everyday Magazine (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, (Mo.)), Mar. 18, 1945, p. 4]

►Korean War

[Frances, Spatz, “Allimony Annies Are At It Again,” American Weekly, Cincinnati Enquirer Magazine Section, p. 2]

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►►Individual cases◄◄

►WORLD WAR I

1916 – Florence Langley – England – Married an Australian solder for his allotment and left him.

1918 – Florence A. J. Becker – New York, N. Y., USA – 2 husbands.
1918 – Mrs. Carrie Lanahan – Baltimore, Maryland, USA – Bigamy allotment scam; the first case of its kind to be prosecuted.

1919 – Ida Louise Milton – Chicago, Illinois, USA – Stole allotment from husband and kidnapped their children.

1919 – Regina Sawyer – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA – 4 husbands.
1921 – Mary Brown (alias Kate Kearney, alias Sammillee Lee Connie) – Columbus, New Mexico, USA – 3 husbands.

1921 – Helen Drexler Ferguson – Chicago, Illinois, USA – 16 husbands (photo).
1921 – Florence May Dibble – Binghamton, N. Y. – 6 husbands (photo).

►WORLD WAR II

1943 – Frances Lowe – Louisville, Kentucky, USA – 2 husbands (photo).
1943 – Vivian Eggers – Phoenix, Arizona, USA – 7 husbands (photo).

1943 – Ruby Elizabeth Gaines (Veronica Bax) – Phoenix, Arizona, USA – 3 husbands.
1943 – Grace Vivian Reinert – Washington, D. C., USA – 3 husbands (photo).

1943 – Mabel LaVerne Saxon – Tucson, Arizona, USA – 2 husbands.

1943 – Doris June Shensky – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA – 2 husbands (photo).

1943 – Mrs. Loyal Shufflebarger – Reno, Nevada, USA – 4 husbands (photo).

1944 – Ann Ambra – Bristol, Florida, USA – 3 husbands (photo).
1944 – Rachel Rivers Bell – Clarion, Mississippi, USA – 3 husbands.
1944 – Edith Ray Clark – Dothan, Alabama, USA – 2 husbands.
1944 – Helen M. Condit – Plainsfield, New Jersey, USA – 2 husbands.
1944 – Doris Marie Spring – St. Louis, Missouri, USA – 4 husbands (photo).

1944 – Korene Stankowich (Korine Buckner) – Detroit, Michigan, USA – 16 husbands (photo).

1944 – Elvira Tayloe – Norfolk, Virginia, USA – 6 husbands.
1944 – Mrs. L. J. Vibbard – Sweetwater, Texas, USA – 2 husbands.
1945 – Alice Cheatwood – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA – 6 husbands (photo).
1945 – Rosamae Roberts Chester – Columbus, Ohio, USA – 2 military husbands.
1945 – Martha Elizabeth Downey – Los Angeles, California, USA – 4 husbands (photo).
1945 – Goldie Maybel Gill – Reno, Nevada, USA – 2 husbands.
1945 – Iris D. Henderson – Los Angeles, California, USA – 3 husbands.

1945 – Muriel Vivian Hornsby – Montreal, Quebec, Canada – 5 husbands. (portrait)
1945 – Virginia Jorgenson – San Francisco, California, USA – 3 husbands. (photo)
1945 – Linda Moore Kinne – Anaheim, California, USA – 2 husbands (photo).
1945 – Rose Mary Lee – Michigan City, Indiana, USA – 3 husbands (photo).
1945 – Florence Mack – Brooklyn, New York, USA – 3 husbands. (photo)

1945 – Mary Massengale – Bowdon, Georgia, USA – 4 husbands (photo).

1945 – Anne Aline Palmer – Tampa, Florida, USA – 3 husbands.
1945 – Mary Ruth Rich – La Grange, Georgia, USA – 3 husbands (photo).
1945 – Betty Means Slater – Pasadena, California, USA – 2 husbs. & 1 fiance?
1945 – Alicia Edith Southall – Hayward, California, USA – 2 husbands.

1945 – Julia Pearl Davis Steele – Fort Des Moines, Iowa, USA – 3 husbands (photo).

1945 – Vilma Suberly – Eugene, Oregon, USA – 8 husbands (photo).

1946 – Bette Lee Richards Bowman – San Francisco, California, USA – 3 husbands (photo).
1947 – Bernice Carra Donna – New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA – 6 husbands. (photo)

1947 – Mary Carol Harrington – Bloomington, Pennsylvania; California, USA – 4 husbands.

1947 – Doris Warner Knox – Cleveland, Ohio, USA – 3 husbands.

1947 – Mary Lou Llewelyn – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA –3 husbands (photo).
1947 – Linda Thompson – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA – 3 husbands.

1948 – Elma Jane Baker Weaver List – Miami, Florida, USA – 3 husbands. (photo)

►KOREAN WAR

1950 – Winifred Jones – Grand Rapids, Mi.; Illinois, USA – 2 husbands.
1952 – Gladys Elsie Woitowicz – Louisville, Kentucky, USA – 2 husbands..

1955 – Mrs. Earl E. McComb – Long Beach, California – 2 husbands.

1955 – Mrs. Benjamin Follette – Sarasota, Florida, USA – 3 husbands.

1957 – Linda Leh – Panama City, Panama – 3 husbands.

1957 – Cynthia Dolores Coraditti – Dayton, Ohio, USA – 3 husbands (4 previous divorces) (photo).

1958 – Dorothy S. Smith – Baltimore, Maryland, USA – 5/1.

►VIETNAM WAR

1966 – Pandora Cooke – San Diego, California, USA – 14 husbands (photo).

►Other Military cases ◄

Civil War – Mrs. McCray – USA (Parental Kidnapping) – Wife kidnapped the children while husband was in service. He devoted his life to trying to find them.

World War I – Clothida Cravana – Italy (serial killer) – Attempted to murder husband while he was on the war front by mailing him poison.

Attempted to murder husband while he was on the war front by mailing him poison.

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Review of "Allotment Wives," see: She Did it For Love: Allotment Wives (1945) by Guy Savage

http://www.noiroftheweek.com/2011/03/allotment-wives-1945.html

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A recent essay discussing this subject: “Allotment Annies and Other Wayward Wives:. Wartime Concerns About Female Disloyalty and the Problem of the Returned Veteran,” in The United States and the Second World War Fordham University Press September 2010, pp. 99-128]

A 1985 book describes the “Allotment Annie” racket: John Costello, Love, Sex and War: Changing Values, 1939-45, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; 1985)

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A recent essay discussing this subject: “Allotment Annies and Other Wayward Wives:. Wartime Concerns About Female Disloyalty and the Problem of the Returned Veteran,” in The United States and the Second World War Fordham University Press September 2010, pp. 99-128]

A 1985 book describes the “Allotment Annie” racket: John Costello, Love, Sex and War: Changing Values, 1939-45, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; 1985)

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Review of "Allotment Wives," see: She Did it For Love:Allotment Wives (1945) by Guy Savage

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World War I. US mobilization 4,355,000. After declaration of war the US target for volunteer enlistment for the first 6 weeks was set at 1 million. Yet only 73,000 men volunteered. On May 18, 1917 the Selective Service Act was passed, with a minimum age of 21. Ultimately 4,355,000 were mobilized. During the war United States forces suffered 323,018 casualties.

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“War Marriage Vampires – MGTOW,” a YouTube talk published on May 22, 2015 is a superb discussion of this subject, based in part on the materials found on this checklist.

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[1740-9/15/18; 2194-3/14/21]
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