By Sarah Fertsch
Eighty years ago, Atlantic City looked much different from today.
Resorts Casino was once Thomas England General Hospital, one of the main hospitals serving disabled veterans during World War II. The beach was overflowing with military trainees instead of vacationers. Hotels were transformed into barracks, charging only $1 per night. The Easter Parade (the largest in the country) was traded in for military exercises. Diving horses stopped diving, salt water taffy was no longer being stretched, and Miss America was touring the Thomas England General Hospital rather than Boardwalk Hall.
The beachfront resort switched overnight into a military base, known colloquially as Camp Boardwalk.
The fun-town brand of Atlantic City allowed soldiers to smile for a moment before they were deployed, even if all of the fun was put on pause. A nightly curfew was set, so all lights would be turned off to protect the town from German submarines.
Six aircraft rescue boats were docked at Gardner’s Basin, preparing for the likelihood of a German attack. Unfortunately, tens of ships were blown to pieces by German submarines right off the Jersey coast, so the likelihood of a missile attack was high.
The Miss America pageant continued on, boosting the morale of soldiers and representing the American Spirit well. The crowned queen would make rounds in the hospital and on the boardwalk, cheering on the soldiers.
The Associated Press interviewed George Jollie, a fellow from Collingswood who trained at Camp Boardwalk as an army man. “I always said it was the best time in service,” he said. “The entrance price was a little high, though.”
Jollie was sent to Thomas England General Hospital after he lost a leg during combat in Italy. He then stayed at the Chalfonte-Haddon Hotel, which served as a sick ward for veterans. Overlooking the boardwalk, Jollie recalled overlooking military calisthenics and docking exercises held on the beach. “It was a dandy place to recuperate,” Jollie said. “The whole city turned itself over to you. You could get a Sunday dinner every night of the week.”
At the Atlantic City Training Center, recruits would practice marches and strategic advances. The military-history blog “Lost Greetings” writes, “The Wikipedia page for this installation states that its official military records were destroyed within two decades of the close of the war because the location was not associated with any particular fighting unit. The local newspapers have retained some photos of the wartime activities, but the training center reverted back to civilian use immediately following the war. Virtually no trace of its existence is still evident in Atlantic City, except that the convention hall, once used for military drills, remains as an official historic landmark now known as Boardwalk Hall.”
After the war ended in 1945, Atlantic City tried to transform back to its leisurely self, but struggled to find the success it once had in the 1920s and 1930s. All that remains from Camp Boardwalk is a plaque at Resorts Casino, commemorating Thomas England General Hospital and the soldiers it served.
