Photo Plates - Signal Corps Telephone Operating Unit - 1919
Girls Who Handle Toul "Central" Signal Corps Telephone Operators, Toul, Meurthe Et Moselle, France, 17 January 1919. From Left to Right: First Row: Elizabeth Maculey; Marie Lemaire; Miss E. G. Hunter, Chief Operator; Rose Langelier; Marie A. Gagnon. Second Row: Kathleen Mitchell: Melanie Van Gastel; Elenore A. Brown; Suzanne Coheleach and 1st Lt. Frank Hogan, in Charge of Operators, Photograph by Lt. Fox, Signal Corps. National Archives and Records Administration, 111-SC-49636. NARA ID # 86705378. | GGA Image ID # 19a13e3fab. Click to View a Larger Image.
[Exhibit I]
Office of the Telephone Traffic Chief,
District of Paris,
January 14, 1919.
To : Members of the Signal Corps Telephone Unit, District of Paris.
1. Attached hereto is a record of Photo Plates on file of members of the Signal Corps Telephone Operating Unit, with the names of those in each picture and a description of the picture. This record is furnished you so that if desired you may secure prints by writing to the following: Division of Pictures, Committee of Public Information, Washington, D.C., sending ten cents (10c) for the print desired.
2. It is believed that you may wish to obtain some of these pictures which pertain to your work in France and the work of your associates, upon your return to America.
3. As other pictures of interest become available supplementary records will be furnished you.
J. D. Farrington,
2d Lt, Signal Corps,
Record of Photo Plates on File of Members Signal Corps Operating Unit
- No. 1919-J8—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: Marsh, McDonnell, Francfort, Brown, Noble, Courtial, Lange, Hill, Rieder, Hyatt, Young, Lang, Maclin, Viau, Munro, Langelier, LaRiviere, Balhumeur.
- No. 1922—J8—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: Munoz, Van Gastel, Marshall, L. J. Beraud, Maclin, Armanet, Couture, Hawkins, Summers, C. Anderson, Couturier, Peyron, Borresen, Ruffe, LaSalle, Boehrer, Chenot, Lucier, Lanz, McDonnell.
- No. 1923—J8—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: O’Rourk, Hamel, Moussu, Carroul, Batta, Lamontagne, Armand, McKillop, Bourneuf, Vannier, Riendeau, Raymond, Arland, Margurite Martin, Cooper, Chaix, Bigou, Lumpert, Leguia.
- No. 1508-T8—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: MacDonald, Abbie Mitchell, Disbrowe, Bixby, Iapp, Hagan, Olker, Johnson, Doucette.
- No. 292-AS-Q—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: E. White, Henton, Van Brunt, Essirard, Robinson, Villiers, McIntyre.
- No. 288-A8—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: Ingram, Bleyeres, Henton, White, Lemaire, McIntyre, Mellicent Martin, Essirard, Van Brunt, Palmer, E. Keyser, B. Carrell, McDermott, Taylor, Ponsolle, Barreré, F. Keyser, Aarents, Libert, Dodson, Mitchel, Pechin, Robinson, M. Anderson, Heynen, Perreten, Jackson, Villiers, Crittenden, M. Carrel, Shaw, B. Thomas, Fox, Brousseau, Mr. Thomas, Celinas, LaBorde.
- No. 290-A8-Q—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: Ingram, Ponsolle, Ethel Keyser, Florence Keyser, Taylor, Gelinas Perreten, Heynen, Libert, Kathleen Mitchell.
- No. 289-A8—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: Aarrents, Mellicent Martin, M. Carrel, Barrere, Palmer, Fox, B. Carrel, Crittenden, E. Thomas, M. Thomas.
- No. 379-G8—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: Flood, Bousquet, Des Jardins, Adele Hoppock, Robey, Snow, L. M. Beraud, Belanger, Gauthier, Grand-Maitre, Sage, L. A. Verkler, L. De Jersey, B. J. Verkler, Kervin, McMullen, Blanc, Jones, Wuilleumier, Milner, Hutchins, Hunt, Racicot, Coheleach, S. Beraud, Gavard.
- No. 291-A8-Q—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: Bleyeres, Jackson, McDermott, Pechin, Laborde, Brousseau, Shaw, Lemaire, Dodson, M. Anderson.
- No. 764-S8—Group Picture Showing following Telephone Operators: Mahoney, Macauley, Sjostrom, Wilcox, O’Brien, Honey, Henshaw, Chance, Black, Knall, Carey, Brown, Bickford, Gridley, Hayes, Sealey, Robb Blazina, Finch, Shovar, Sheerin, Keeping, Gifford, Cook, Wilkins, Kinney, Fairbrother, Barbour, Lewis.
- No. 509-M8—Group Pictures Showing following Telephone Operators: Smith, Plamondon, Fresnel, Theriault, Capistran, Ward, Hardy, LeBlanc, Gagnon, Dupuis, L. LeBreton, Whitney, Audet, R. LeBreton, Bouchet, Prevot, Davis, Langelier, Schaerr, Adam, Gyss, Cunningham, Hunter, Fecteau, Nadeau, Van Balkom, Paine, Caron, Lamoureux, Ford, Messelin, Banker, Richards.
- No. 128-J8—Picture of Tours Operating Room, Showing the following Operators: Van Balkom, Davis, Paine, LeBreton, Van Brunt, Cunningham.
- No. 2105-V8—Picture of Chaumont Recording and Information Desks, Showing the following Telephone Operators: K. Mitchell, Doucette, Blazina, Gelinas. Louise M. Beraud, Sealey.
- No. 515-V8—Picture of 2nd Army Operating Room Showing the following Telephone Operators: Hunter, Van Gastel, Plamondon, White, C. Anderson, Hawkins.
- No. 924-T8—Picture of Bassens Dock Operating Room, Showing the following Telephone Operators: La Rousse (Civilian) Richards.
- No. 1439-S8—Picture of 1st Army Operating Room, Showing the following Telephone Operators: Hunt, Fresnel, Banker.
(L to R) Berthe Hunt, "Tootsie" Fresnel, and Grace Banker were three of the 223 American female telephone operators who served in France during World War I . Known as the "Hello Girls," they were part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps and provided crucial battlefield communications in English and French. Photo US Army Signal Corps, No. 1439-S8. | GGA Image ID # 236a95f642. Click to View a Larger Image.
Grace Banker
Grace Banker was the chief operator of the first unit of women deployed to France in 1918. A college graduate and experienced long-distance telephone trainer for AT&T, Banker was 25 years old when she became the leader of the initial group of operators. She served on the front lines, including during the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne offensives. For her exceptional service and leadership, Banker was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, one of the first women to receive the honor. She kept a diary throughout her service, which later became an important historical resource.
Berthe Hunt
Berthe Hunt was an operator in Banker's unit and was often described as the "den mother". She was married to a Navy doctor also serving in the war. Hunt worked the switchboards near the front, enduring shelling and long hours like the other Hello Girls. A photograph shows her seated at a switchboard in Chaumont, France, along with Fresnel and Banker, with helmets and gas masks nearby.
"Tootsie" Fresnel
"Tootsie" Fresnel was another operator in Banker's unit, whose first name was likely Suzanne. She was a friend of Grace Banker from their time working at AT&T. Fresnel was described as feisty and tough-talking and served alongside her peers in France. Like Hunt and Banker, she is featured in a well-known photograph of the operators at their station, ready for potential combat conditions.
- No. 499-U8F—Picture of Telephone Operators in Front of General Headquarters: Langelier, Nadeau, Gagnon, Prevot.
- No. 707-S8—Picture of Signal Corps Girls Home at Chaumont: Plamondon, L. Béraud, Capistran, S. Beraud, Fresnel.
- No. 498-J8—Picture of Gate at Chaumont Showing the following Telephone Operators: Prevot, Nadeau, Gagnon, Langelier.
- No. 1733-T8—Picture of Operating Room at Tours, Showing the following Telephone Operators: O’Rourke, Bartlett, Barbour, Franckfort, Bourneuf, Erickson, Gifford, Hammond.
- No. 2103-V8—Picture of Operating Room at Chaumont, Showing the following Telephone Operators: L. M. Beraud, Hagan, Joure, Capistran, Ward, S. Beraud.
"[Exhibit I—Photos Plates]: Affidavit of Gertrude Hoppock: Photo Plates on file of members of the Signal Corps Telephone Operating Unit, 14 January 1919," in Recognition for Purposes of VA Benefits, Hearing before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-Fifth Congress, First Session on S. 247, S. 1414, S. 129, and Related Bills. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 25 May 1977. p. 364-366.
