Helene Toby, Operator
Quick Facts
- Unit: Seven
- Deployed: Group 7 was ready to board ships for France when the Armistice was declared, so they did not deploy; however, all had volunteered, were fully trained, and were ready to serve in combat.
- Repatriated:
- Hometown at Time of Enlistment:
- Original Hometown (if Known):
- Education:
- Occupation at Enlistment:
- Lifespan:
Articles and Documents on GG Archives
Roster and Hometowns of the WWI “Hello Girls” – U.S. Army Signal Corps Telephone Operators (1918–1920)
Explore the complete roster of 223 women and two men who served as U.S. Army Signal Corps telephone operators during World War I.
Organized by unit and hometown, this list reveals the national and international scope of the bilingual operators who kept the American Expeditionary Forces connected across France.
This roster serves as a cornerstone for genealogists, educators, and historians researching the pioneering women who made military communications possible.
Affidavit of Enid M. Pooley (1977) — Unit 7 Signal Corps Telephone Operator
A first-person account from a Unit 7 operator who took the oath, wore the regulation Signal Corps uniform, trained with PT&T/AT&T, and was staged to embark when the Armistice (11/11/1918) halted deployment. Pooley’s sworn statement became key evidence in
the Hello Girls’ recognition effort.
Photographs
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.
External Resources
Repository Information
The Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives (GG Archives) is cataloged with the Library of Congress under MARC Org Code: WiMfGGA and ISIL: US-wimfgga.
Current location:
N91W16562 Pershing Ave, #1
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin 53051-2170, USA
Note: Historic addresses listed in earlier MARC records include Marietta, GA and Woodstock, GA. These appear in authority files but are no longer active.
