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Woman Power

The first really large-scale employment of women as Naval personnel took place to meet the severe clerical shortages of the World War I era. The Naval Reserve Act of 1916 had conspicuously omitted mention of gender as a condition for service, leading to formal permission to begin enlisting women in mid-March 1917, shortly before the United States entered the "Great War". Nearly six hundred Yeomen (Female) were on duty by the end of April 1917, a number that had grown to over eleven thousand in December 1918, shortly after the Armistice.

The Yeomen (F), or "Yeomanettes" as they were popularly known, primarily served in secretarial and clerical positions, though some were translators, draftsmen, fingerprint experts, ship camouflage designers and recruiting agents. Five went to France with Naval hospital units and a modest number of others were stationed in Puerto Rico, Guam, Hawaii and the Panama Canal Zone. However, the great majority were assigned duties at Naval installations in the Continental United States, frequently near their homes, processing the great volume of paperwork generated by the war effort. Yeomen (F), all of whom held enlisted ranks, continued in service during the first months of the post-war Naval reductions. Female civilians worked overseas with the Army under contract and as volunteers during World War I as communications specialists and dietitians.

Bogged down in trench warfare in northern France, the Allies were about to get a helping hand. In 1917, three years into the Great War, the United States joined forces with the Allied Powers. Soon after arriving in France in June 1917, General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, discovered that he faced a formidable foe. Defeating the German army was but one of his challenges — first he had to tackle the notoriously inefficient French telephone system. How could crucial information be transmitted in the midst of two-hour delays and abrupt hang-ups? Of even greater importance was the shortage of bilingual telephone operators. Without skilled interpreters, a miscommunication could jeopardize lives — not only those of soldiers, but civilians as well.

The current telephone system was not only inefficient, it was also a misuse of manpower. Soldiers were struggling to operate switchboards, rather than performing the combat-related duties they had been trained for. Pershing wasted no time in asking the War Department for 100 French-speaking US telephone operators. Because switchboard operation was, at that time, an exclusively female occupation, this meant that Pershing was asking women to work for the Army. The War Department, initially reluctant to hire women, began to recruit volunteers at Pershing's insistence.

An emergency appeal was published in national newspapers, resulting in more than 7,000 applications. The overwhelming response signaled the eagerness of American women to contribute to the war effort, now that the US was involved. Of the large group of volunteers, only a small portion was fluent in French. All of the first groups sent to France were French-speaking, although some of the later ones were not. In each case, because of the classified information they would be privy to, candidates were investigated by the Secret Service and evaluated by psychologists. Women who had male relatives serving overseas, or any ties to the Central Powers, were eliminated from consideration.

The women came from various backgrounds. The first group ranged in age from 19 to 35. Among them were women of French-Canadian origin, French-born women who had learned English while working in the US, college graduates and a few who had been educated in French convents. Some families made a double contribution to the cause — seven pairs of sisters were accepted by the Corps. All of these women were fluent in both French and English, but many needed training in switchboard operation.

Initially, 150 women were chosen, with another 400 placed on reserve, to be called upon if needed later in the war. American Telephone and Telegraph provided training in switchboard operation at seven training centers throughout the US. The women also received instruction from the Army in military terminology and procedures, and were sworn into the US Army Signal Corps, subject to the same regulations as male soliders.

The first unit, made up of 29 Americans and four Canadians, set sail for France on 1 March 1918. A second group followed in mid-March and a third in April. Two more units would go to France before the war ended, totaling more than 230 volunteers. They traveled in standard troop ships, a tiny minority of females among some 7,000 soldiers on board. Life belts — life preservers in the form of a belt — were mandatory apparel during the day. At mealtimes, the women marched in line three times daily to their designated dining tables.

Landing in England, the women boarded a ferry to cross the English Channel. All of the groups faced potential danger, and the first was no exception. A few miles into their crossing, dense fog forced the ferry to stop and drop anchor, making it an easy target for the Germans if it were spotted. The delay lasted two days before the fog cleared. During those two days and nights, the women stayed on deck the entire time, so that they would be able to abandon ship at a moment's notice.

Arriving first in Paris, the "Hello Girls", were assigned to Army offices and headquarters throughout France, including Paris, Chaumont and Tours. As the women took over switchboard duties at headquarters and near the front lines, the Signal Corps went in to run their own telephone lines and install new equipment. Pershing would now have the tools he needed to communicate vital messages as quickly as possible — a necessity for any wartime commander.

Initially, the operators handled routine duties, such as calls about supply orders and transportation information. Soon, however, they were working on the "fighting lines", lines that connected the fighting units in the field with their commanders. As military offensives by the Allies escalated, the women dispatched messages between French and American commanders; at times they even transmitted battle commands.

Living arrangements varied greatly, from old army barracks to hotels and private homes. Those closest to the front lines found accommodations less welcoming. Flimsy, makeshift barracks with leaky roofs did little to keep out the rain and cold air, but the women were thankful to receive plenty of warm food. They often thought of how much harder "the boys" in the trenches had it.

It was not uncommon for the women to work long hours, especially as the war progressed. When they had first arrived, eight to 10 hour shifts were typical, but during major offensives they worked day and night, alternating shifts of four hours on, four hours off. Then, in September 1918, General Pershing summoned a small group of his "switchboard soldiers", as he would later christen them, for a more demanding and perilous duty.

As Pershing prepared the First Army for the crucial St. Mihiel and Argonne-Meuse campaigns, he recognized the need for competent, bilingual operators at the front. A call went out to the Hello Girls, requesting six women who would be willing to work the switchboards close to the front lines. Incredibly, every one of the more than 230 operators volunteered to go. Only six were selected, based upon their switchboard experience, fluency in French and good physical health. All were equipped with tin trench helmets and gas masks.

Throughout these offensives, the women worked under stressful conditions as calls came in continuously, at times interrupted by nearby bombings. Sleep-deprived operators and officers alike struggled to stay calm and patient while exchanging vital information over the phone lines. During the Argonne drive, the barracks where the switchboard was located caught fire. Ordered to leave, the women refused until threatened with disciplinary action. The fire was quickly extinguished, and they returned an hour later to resume their work with only a third of their phone lines still intact. Grace Banker, the Chief Operator, would later receive the Distinguished Service Medal for meritorious service.

Pershing's campaign was successful, and the Armistice came just weeks later, on 11 November 1918, nearly a year since Pershing had first called for women to volunteer for wartime duty. The women had indeed answered the call, making a historical contribution to their country and to a hard- won peace in Europe. Many would stay in Europe for several months to help with the post-war transition. Soon, however, they would be fighting a battle of their own — with the US Army.

Upon returning to the States, the Hello Girls were greeted with admiration, and disbelief that women would be involved in transmitting battle orders. They were feted and praised for their courage and dedication to country, but the celebration was short-lived. US Army administrators, citing a regulation that only males could take an oath of enlistment — an oath that all of the Hello Girls had taken — refused to consider veteran status for the women.

The 60-year battle for recognition, led by operator Merle Egan Anderson, was a long and frustrating struggle. More than 50 times over the years, bills granting veteran status to the Hello Girls had been introduced to Congress, but none had passed. It was not until 1978 that the surviving Hello Girls were presented with discharge certificates, Victory Medals and full veterans' benefits. Victory, however, had come far too late for the vast majority of the "girls".

Patricia Daniels. Switchboard Soldiers: The Hello Girls. History Magazine. April/May 2009.

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