Roster and Hometown of Telephone Operators Serving in France, 1918-1920
Editorial Note: This roster represents the verified archival record of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Telephone Operators—the “Hello Girls”—who served or trained between 1918 and 1920. For the earlier, press-compiled overview based on 1918–1919 reports, see 223 Women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps Telephone Operators Overseas (1918–1919) .
📖 Review & Summary
This official roster lists the 223 women and two men who served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps Telephone Operators Unit between 1918 and 1920 – the “Hello Girls.” Each name represents a verified individual who trained, deployed, or prepared for service under the American Expeditionary Forces. The list is organized by operating units (1 through 7) and provides hometowns when known, offering a geographic snapshot of the nationwide and bilingual talent recruited to link American forces in France.
The roster is more than a register of names: it is a collective biography of the women who bridged continents by voice during World War I. By combining French fluency with technical precision, they maintained command communications through the Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihiel campaigns – often under shellfire – and continued supporting the Paris Peace Conference.
For teachers, genealogists, and historians, this roster offers a key to locating family service records, tracking regional participation, and understanding women’s integration into U.S. Army communications at the dawn of the modern military age.
Unit 1: Signal Corps Women Telephone Operators
The First Unit of Telephone Operators Trained for Foreign Service by the Bell System. Photograph Taken In France, Where They Have Won the Praise of Secretary of War Baker for Their Efficiency. Their Uniforms Are Dark Blue Serge, With the Letters "U.S." on the Collar. Photograph © Committee on Public Information. The Telephone Review, June 1918. | GGA Image ID # 1982b87dda
- Chief Operator Grace Banker
Passaic, New Jersey - Supervisor Jean Lois Cunningham
Westmonth, Quebec, Canada - Supervisor Elizabeth "Elsie" Gertrude Hunter
Medford, Massachusetts - Supervisor Renee Y. Messelin
San Francisco, California - Supervisor Minnie Rowena Richards
Van Buren, Maine - Melina Julia "Addie" Adam
Swansea, Massachusetts - Eulalie Ida Audet
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts - Jeanne Bouchet
San Francisco, California - Almeria Capistran
North Yakima, Washington - Estella Ismery Caron
Brockton, Massachusetts - Anna Josephine Davis
New Orleans, Louisiana - Cordelia Elizabeth Dupuis
Rolla, North Dakota - Sarah Angeline Cecelia Mary Fecteau
West Lebanon, New Hampshire - Marie Louise Ford
Worcester, Massachusetts - Esther Valentine Fresnel
New York City, New York - Marie Antoinette Emelie Gagnon
Grafton, North Dakota - Charlotte M. Gyss
Yonkers, New York - Winifred Hardy
Montréal, Québec, Canada - Leontine Marie W. Lamoureux
Lowell, Massachusetts - Rose Julia Langelier
Lynn, Massachusetts - Marie Sophie Albertine Le Blanc
Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Louise Le Breton, Operator
San Francisco, California - Raymonde Le Breton
Berkeley, California - Minerva Gladys Nadeau
Boston, Massachusetts - Helen Agnes Naismith
Seattle, Washington - Frances Bigelow Paine
Bronxville, New York - Bertha Yvonne Plamondon
San Francisco, California - Suzanne Prevot
New York City, New York - Georgette Yvonne Schaerr
Omaha, Nebraska - Agnes Mary Theriault
Presque Isle, Maine - Fernande Jacquelane Van Balkon
New York City, New York - Alice Veronica Ward
Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Clara Whitney
Butler, Pennsylvania
GROUP 2: Signal Corps Women Telephone Operators
- Chief Operator Inez Ann Murphy Crittenden
Alameda, California - Supervisor Isabelle Villiers
Reading, Massachusetts - Albertine M. Aarents
Denver, Colorado - Margaret Anderson
Manhattan, New York - Julie S. Barrere
Mt. Vernon, New York - Marguerite S. Bleyeres
Manhattan, New York - Emma Marie Brousseau
Brockton, Massachusetts - Bertha A. Carrel
Fort Wayne, Indiana - Martha Louisa Carrel
Fort Wayne, Indiana - Edith Dodson
Manhattan, New York - Louise M. Essirard
Manhattan, New York - Anne C. Fox
Rochester, New York - Lydia C. Gelinas
Nashua, New Hampshire - Mary Darnaby Henton
Manhattan, New York - Martina A. Heynen
Green Bay, Wisconsin - Denise Ingram
Manhattan, New York - Anallen Jackson
San Francisco, California - Ethel S. Keyser
Seattle, Washington - Florence F. Keyser
Seattle, Washington - Anna Laborde
San Francisco, California - Marie Joanie Lemaire
San Mateo, California - Martha M. Libert
Manhattan, New York - Marie A. N. MacIntyre
Manhattan, New York - Millicent Martin
Chicago, Illinois - Pauline McDermott
Brooklyn, New York - Kathleen Mitchell
Denver, Colorado - Helen Ruth Orb
Chicago, Illinois - Drucilla Skone Palmer
Chicago, Illinois - Laurence Helen Pechin
San Francisco, California - F. Helene Perreten
Manhattan, New York - Marie Ponsolle
St. Paul, Minnesota - Katherine Hay Robinson
Manhattan, New York - Melina Olive Shaw
Watertown, Massachusetts - Marion A. Taylor
Tompkinsville, Staten Island, New York City, New York - Evelyn Thomas
Chicago, Illinois - Marjorie Thomas
Chicago, Illinois - Hildegarde Van Brunt
Alameda, California - Ethelyn White
Manhattan, New York
GROUP 3: Signal Corps Women Telephone Operators
Third Unit of Telephone Operators to Go to France to Serve with General Pershing behind the Allied Lines and Help Carry on the Business of War. The Telephone Review, May 1918. | GGA Image ID # 1985b04117
- Chief Operator Nellie F. Snow
Lowell, Massachusetts - Supervisor Marie Louise Beraud
New York City, New York - Supervisor Elizabeth Rockwell Roby
Chicago, Illinois - Marie Blanche Belanger
Rochester, New York - Suzanne M Beraud
New York City, New York - Michele F. Blanc
Boston, Massachusetts - Marie Louise Bousquet
San Francisco, California - Suzanne Coheleach
Long Island, New York - Lucile M de Jersey
Covina, California - Miriam de Jersey
Covina, California - Frances Des Jardine
New York City, New York - Maria Flood
Chicago, Illinois - Yvonne M. Gauthier
Lowell, Massachusetts - Louisette H. Gavard
New York City, New York (or Newark, New Jersey) - Blanche B. Grand-Maitre
Minneapolis, Minnesota - Adele Louise Hoppock
Seattle, Washington - Bertha Matignon Hunt
Berkeley, California - Margaret G. Hutchins
New York City, New York - Janet R. Jones
Newark, Ohio - Margaret Hope Kervin
San Francisco, California - A. Maude McMullen
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (or Fitchburg, Massachusetts) - Marguerite H. Milner
Berkeley, California - Eugenie Racicot
Lowell, Massachusetts - Dorothy L. Sage
Chicago, Illinois - Bertha J. Verkler
Chicago, Illinois - Lillian R. Verkler
Chicago, Illinois - Berthe Wuilleumier
Boston, Massachusetts
GROUP 4: Signal Corps Women Telephone Operators
- Chief Operator Geneva Mildred Marsh
Detroit, Michigan - Supervisor Beatrice Pauline Bourneuf
Haverhill, Massachusetts - Supervisor Beatrice Josephine Francfort
New York City, New York - Supervisor Eleanor Rowena Hoppock
Seattle, Washington - Supervisor Eileen Elise Munro
Washington, DC - Supervisor Mary Jane Elizabeth Vannier
Helena, Montana - Charlotte E. Anderson
San Francisco, California - Berthe Lina Arlaud
Brooklyn, New York - Louise Ludavie Armand
New York City, New York - Irma Rameline Armanet
San Francisco, California - Madeline Felicie Antoinette Catherine Batta
New York City, New York - Albertine Anne Marie Belhumer
Providence, Rhode Island - Cora Louise Jane Beraud
Hillsdale, Michigan - Lucienne Nadine Bigou
New York City, New York - Georgette Julia Boehrer
Reading, Pennsylvania - Alice Julia Borresen
Spokane, Washington - Eleanore Anastasia Brown
Seattle, Washington - Agnes Grace Burke
Detroit, Michigan - Marthe Mary Carroul
San Francisco, California - Louise Rose Madeleine Chaix
San Francisco, California - Marguerite Helen Chenot
Long Island, New York - Evelyn Mary Tilleard Cooper
San Diego, California - Juliette Louise Courtial
New Orleans, Louisiana / Los Angeles, California - Eugenie Jeannette Couture
Lynn, Massachusetts - Ruth Emma Couturier
Portland, Maine - Vivienne Blanche Marianne Hamel
Nashua, New Hampshire - Alma Helen Lorentzia Hawkins
Bellingham, Washington - Helen Elizabeth Hill
New Haven, Connecticut / Seattle, Washington - Kathleen Mary Hyatt
Wanatchee, Washington - Germaine Marie Anne Lamontagne
Montréal, Québec, Canada - Jane Louise Lang
Spokane, Washington - Marie Alexandrine Lange
San Francisco, California - Ida Blanche Lanz
Brooklyn, New York - Evelyn Claire La Riviere
Spencer, Massachusetts - Marie Alexine Lassalle
San Francisco, California - Marie Edmee LeRoux
New York City, New York - Jeanne Catherine Victoire Legallet
Oakland, California - Celestine Angele Leguia
New York City, New York - Aurelie Cecile Lucier
Nashua, New Hampshire - Emelia Katharine Lumpert
Salt Lake City, Utah - Louise Eugenie Maclin
New York City, New York - Mary Marshall
Salt Lake City, Utah - Marguerite Marie Cecile Martin
San Francisco, California - Pauline Jeanne Francoise McDonnell
California - Marjorie Leslie McKillop
Seattle, Washington - Eglantine Rose Moussu
Pendlaton, Oregon - Lalla Rookh Munoz
Oakland, California - Lillie Marie Elizabeth Poirier Noble
Los Angeles, California - Mary Catharine O'Rourke
New York City, New York - Leonie Camille Peyron
Los Angeles, California - Alice Raymond
Montréal, Québec, Canada - Camille Fanny Rieder
New York City, New York - Emma Riendeau
Providence, Rhode Island - Marie Louise Catharine Ruffe
Pasadena, California - Doris Edith Summers
Seattle, Washington - Ida Trahan
Providence, Rhode Island - Ellen Mildred Turner
Seattle, Washington - Melanie Marie Van Gastel
Berkeley, California - Stella Mary Viau
Fitchburg, Massachusetts - Jennie Rose Young
Lorain, Ohio
GROUP 5: Signal Corps Women Telephone Operators
- 1LT Eugene Du Bose Hill
Seattle, Washington - Supervisor Helen Cook
New York City, New York - Blanche Louise Barbour
Brooklyn, New York - Christine Vivian Bickford
Rockland, Maine - Zada Freelove Black
Denver, Colorado - Agnes Elizabeth Blazine
New York City, New York - Jessie Douglas Brown
Los Angeles, California - Helen Hunt Carey
Chicago, Illinois - Anita Lenora Chance
Denver, Colorado - Merle Egan
Seattle, Washington - Sarah Fairbrother
Ellsworth, Maine - Norma Gail Finch
Hillsdale, Michigan - Irene Alice Gifford
Bedford, Massachusetts - Laura Gridley
San Francisco, California - Helen May Hayes
South Lincoln, Massachusetts - Martha May Henshaw
Worcastor, Massachusetts - Faye Ruth Honey
Detroit, Michigan - Ruth Keeping
Revere, Massachusetts - Anna Adline Kinney
Davenport, Iowa - Grace Bernice W. Knall
Los Angeles, California - Mildred Lewis
Bridgeport, Conneticut - Elizabeth Macauley
New York City, New York - Marguerite G. Mahoney
San Francisco, California - Florence O'Brien
New York City, New York - Ena Robb
New York City, New York - Mary Ellen Sealey
Brookline, Massachusetts - Annie Frances Sheerin
Dorchester, Massachusetts - Elizabeth Marion Shovar
Franklin, Indiana - Vera Sjostrom
Chicago, Illinois - Louise Margaret Wilcox
Detroit, Michigan - Nell Susan Wilkins
Iowa
GROUP 6: Signal Corps Women Telephone Operators
- 2LT William Frank Packard Jr.
- Supervisor Marion Campbell Swan
Fall River, Massachusetts - Cora Helen Bartlett
Hillsdale, Michigan - Helen Bixby
Indianapolis, Indiana - Ruth Boucher
San Francisco, California - Marion Beryl Broderick
Detroit, Michigan - Elizabeth Ann Browne
San Antonio, Texas - Anna Marie Campbell
Emmett, Idaho - Jane Elizabeth Conroy
Wilken Barre, Pennsylvania - Rosemary de Montauzan
Villanova, Pennsylvania - Lora Ellen Disbrowe
Tacoma, Washington - Bernadette Genevieve Doucette
Entvistla, Alberta, Canada - Lydia Eugenia Erickson
Chicago, Illinois - Mae Alice Ganley
Brockton, Massachusetts - Minnie Hermine Goldman
Chicago, Illinois - Louise Gordon
Litchfield, Michigan - Helma Greenlund
Riverside, California - Celia Ann Grimmeke
Butte, Montana - Delta Eva Hagan
Monticello, Minnesota - Hazel May Hammond
Sandpoint, Idaho - Agnes Theresa Houley
Boston, Massachusetts - Elizabeth Horsman
Chicago, Illinois - Maude Edna Johnson
San Francisco, California - Oleda Ruth Joure
Marine City, Michigan - Frances Willard Laney
Seattle, Washington - Mabel Cora Lapp
Evanston, Illinois - Hortense Levy
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Mary Isabelle Macdonald
Hartford, Conneticut - Abbie Elizabeth Mitchell
Cambridge, Massachusetts - Margaret Genevieve Olker
Duluth, Minnesota - Anne May Ostrander
Los Angeles, California - Estella Syvilla Russell
St. Cloud, Minnesota - Mary Anne Steele
Portland, Maine - Mary Caroline Story
Seattle, Washington - Anna Maria Swanson
Douglas, Wyoming - Elsie Lizzie Wolloff
Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts
Unit 7: Signal Corps Women Telephone Operators
French Speaking Members of Unit Seven of the US Army Signal Corps Telephone Operators Pose in Front of the Highland Court Hotel in Hartford, Connecticut, Where They Were Staying While Training to Be Operators circa October 1918. Top Row (L-R) Sophie T. Lefebvre, Gilda Couleru, Gabrielle Toby, and Helene Toby. Front Row (L-R): Jeanne Bourquin, Elizabeth F. Thorne, Mathilde Ferrie, Ruth Clarke, Catherine A. Byram, Helene Champrigand, Marguerite De Saulles, and Aurelie C. Asten. Connecticut State Library, State Archives, Dudley Photograph Collection of Hartford During World War I, 1917-1919. | GGA Image ID # 237fc838e9. Click to View a Larger Image.
- Supervisor Emma A. Lundell
- Aurelie C. Asten
- Nancy D. Baines
- Marguerite Blanchet
- Jeanne Bourquin (Note 1)
- Anita Brown
- Satie M. Brown
- Berthe Brunei
- Marguerite E. Carpentier
- Alice M. Cazasus
- Helene Champrigand
- Elizabeth M. Chesbrough
- Ruth Clarke
- Elise O. Corto
- Olive L. Creelman
- Gilda B. Coulern
- Marguerite Derlis
- Marguerite De Saulles
- Dorothy E. Dunbar
- Ethel C. Elkins
- Mathilde Ferrie
- Catherine Français
- Elsa Freeman
- Gwendolyn Greene
- Yvonne R. Haas
- Aurelie Hermitte
- Marie Hess
- Marie D. James
- Cecile Joncas
- Margaret O. Jones
- Ida P. Keen
- Alice Lambert
- Alice Langellier
- Sophie T. Lefebvre
- Marie D. Lenglet
- Enid A. Mack
- Mary E. McCredy
- Thelma Miller
- Marguerite Monnet
- Elise Montgomery
- Jeanne Poutz-Nogues
- Marie G. Rennick
- Lena Roy
- Margaret Ruddy
- Frances L. St. John
- Anne H. Spencer
- Marie Steen
- Ida Tasartez
- Helen Temime
- Eugenia Thomann
- Elizabeth F. Thorne
- Gabrielle Toby
- Helene Toby
- Mildred Wakefield
- Dorothea E. Walker
- Margaret Whalen
- Margaret S. Wilson
- Gertrude Zohrlaut
Note 1: Jeanne Bourquin died on 18 October 1918 from Influenza. She had completed her training and was ready to deploy to France.
Other Candidates Listed in Unofficial Reports Only
Note: Some may simply be misspellings of names rather than pertain to unlisted Hello Girls.
| Margaret S. Bleyers | ||
| Marie Floyd | ||
| Annie L. Gernon, Suburban-Instructor | ||
| Hope Kerkin | ||
| Nellie Martin | ||
| Maude McLowell | ||
| Marie Antonette Neyrat McEntyre | ||
| Martha Steinbrunere | San Francisco, California | |
| Dee Van Balkom | ||
✨ Most Engaging Content
One of the most compelling aspects of this roster is its human scale. Each name, hometown, and unit transforms the broad story of wartime communications into a network of individual lives – from Passaic, New Jersey to Seattle, Washington, from Montreal to Berkeley. Readers can trace the spread of linguistic ability, education, and patriotism that made the corps effective.
The inclusion of both American and Canadian operators underscores how international cooperation preceded formal allied integration. Likewise, the note that the Seventh Unit was demobilized before sailing reminds readers of the uncertain logistics of a world war fought an ocean away.
Together, the roster’s structure invites students and researchers to explore intersections of gender, geography, and service—revealing how everyday citizens became the literal voice of the U.S. Army.
🖼️ Noteworthy Image(s)
- The First Unit of Telephone Operators in France (1918) – A rare official photograph from the Committee on Public Information depicting the inaugural group trained by the Bell System and praised by Secretary of War Baker for their efficiency. Their navy-blue serge uniforms with “U.S.” collar insignia visually confirmed their military identity long before the Army acknowledged it.
- The Third Unit to Go to France (1918) – Published in The Telephone Review, this image shows another departing contingent bound for service “behind Pershing’s lines,” emphasizing both the professional readiness and the scale of women’s mobilization for technical warfare.
📘 Mini Dictionary for Civilians
- Signal Corps: The U.S. Army branch responsible for communications – including telephone, telegraph, and later radio – vital for coordination between command posts and the front.
- American Expeditionary Forces (AEF): The name for all U.S. military forces deployed to Europe under General John J. Pershing during World War I.
- Unit (1–7): Sequential groups of trained telephone operators; Units 1–6 served overseas, while Unit 7 completed training but was demobilized before embarkation.
- Chief Operator / Supervisor: Titles indicating leadership within each telephone unit, comparable to commissioned and non-commissioned officer roles.
🎓 Essay Prompts for Students
- How does the geographic diversity of the Hello Girls roster illustrate the changing role of women in early twentieth-century America?
- In what ways did language proficiency shape the success of U.S. Army communications in France?
- Discuss how official recognition—or the lack thereof—affects how historians remember participants in wartime service.
- Choose one operator from the roster and research her hometown during 1917–1919. How might her upbringing have prepared her for overseas service?
🪶 Citation Block
Chicago: “Roster and Hometown of Telephone Operators Serving in France, 1918–1920.” Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives. https://www.ggarchives.com/MIL/HelloGirls/Docs/SCTelephoneOperatorsRosterAndHometown-1918-1920.html (accessed October 2025).
APA: Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives. (1918-1920). Roster and Hometown of Telephone Operators Serving in France. Retrieved from https://www.ggarchives.com/MIL/HelloGirls/Docs/SCTelephoneOperatorsRosterAndHometown-1918-1920.html
MLA: “Roster and Hometown of Telephone Operators Serving in France, 1918–1920.” Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives, https://www.ggarchives.com/MIL/HelloGirls/Docs/SCTelephoneOperatorsRosterAndHometown-1918-1920.html. Accessed Oct 2025.
Student Citation: “Roster and Hometown of Telephone Operators Serving in France (1918–1920).” GG Archives. https://www.ggarchives.com/MIL/HelloGirls/Docs/SCTelephoneOperatorsRosterAndHometown-1918-1920.html.
Bibliography
Signal Corps Female Telephone Opeators' Unit, National Archives and Records Administration, Senate Service Files EC9233CA-1DA5-4BD0-992F-CC19E31156F2.
