Mary Babnik Brown

[Steve]

According to the Georgia Museum of Aviation, the story is false:

https://www.museumofaviation.org/blog/th...bombsight/

The first version of the Norden bombsight was invented in 1927 and was acquired by the Army Air Corps in the 1930's. It was first used in bombing campaigns in 1941. Mary first saw the advertisement in 1943 and donated her hair in 1944. Also the manual given to bombardiers said “Crosshairs are etched on one of the lenses of the telescope.”

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According to this article the hair was collected used for meteorological instruments such as radiosonde hygrometers:

https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stor...ar-effort/

The call for human hair was announced by the War Department in July 1941. As it explained, human hair – specifically blonde female hair – was actually a strategic material used in meteorological and other precision instruments. Scientists had discovered that blonde hair was particularly sensitive to changes in heat and cold and these changes could be measured with great accuracy. In addition to being blonde, two other conditions were required: that the hair had never been touched by curling irons or chemicals other than ordinary shampoo and that the hair be at least 12 inches long.

Previously, War Department stocks had been filled primarily by women in the Balkans, but as the war in Europe expanded that source of supply was cut off. When attempts to find substitutes, including synthetic fibers and the web silk of black widow spiders, proved unsatisfactory, the War Department issued its call, stating it would pay top dollar though not specifying what that price was.