“Hello Girls”

“Every Girl Pulling for Victory”

            During The Great War the U.S. military recruited women as translators, telephone operators, drivers, and cryptologists. In all approximately 30,000 American women served their country during The Great War. Women served in the Army and Navy Nurse Corps and also served in the Navy as Yeoman. Many women served as well in the Marines, and Coast Guard.  America’s women were being recruited into the conflict so, as one poster phrased it, there would be “every girl pulling for victory."

 

First World War Poster

Image used claiming Fair Use: National Women’s History Museum.

  http://tinyurl.com/n6w58f9 

 

“Hello Girls”

      Advancements in communications technology led to the introduction of state-of-the art radio, telephone, and telegraph networks. These advancements allowed commanders serving on the front lines, first time in the history, the ability to communicate directly with the General command in the rear. Who managed these networks? In short answer, it was the Army Signal Corps. But how does this relate to Women? That’s a good question. Here’s the answer… The Army Signal Corps at this time actively recruited women to train as bilingual telephone switchboard operators, destined for overseas duty. These ladies were known as the “Hello Girls"

American women serving in France as phone operators.

Image used claiming Fair Use: U.S. Army.

  http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/Wac/ch01.htm

 

 

       The Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit 25, better known as “Hello Girls” comprised of over four hundred women telephone operators, in service overseas in France and England.  Potential “Hello Girls,” were recruited from the commercial telephone companies, then trained in basic military radio procedures at Camp Franklin in Maryland. In all some 7,000 women applied to train with the Army Signal Corps, however only 450 were selected. These ladies once finished with training found themselves operating telephone exchanges for the American Expeditionary Forces in locations such as Paris, Chaumont, and seventy-five other cities and towns throughout France. Others operated exchanges in such places London, Southampton, and Winchester, England. The “Hello Girls” relayed information such as troop movements, and locations for collecting supplies as well as acting as interpreters between America and French units.The importance of these “Hello Girls” cannot be downplayed, as the U.S. Army contained few French-speaking operators, these women no doubt made inter-Allied communications proceed much more smoothly. Clearly the successful implication of these brave American ladies as agents of multi-lingual communications networks, and their successful use of these new technologies, enabled Allied forces to more rapidly and efficiently spread information necessary to the missions at hand.

Members of the Signal Corps. Chaumont, France (1918-1919)

Image used Claiming Fair Use: jungsoul.com

http://jungsoul.com/Hello-Girls.html

 

 “Hello Girls,” though having been sworn into military service and having to follow all Army regulations including the requirement to wear regulation uniforms, were denied veterans status.  “Hello Girls” retained their civilian status and were only considered civilian employees. It was not until 1978, when President Jimmy Carter signed a bill finally awarding the operator’s veteran’s status.