Blue Triangle Follows the Switchboard - 1919

This Girl of the Signal Corps, Has an Eye for Business. She Is Staying at the YWCA Hotel in France. Southern Telephone News, April 1919. GGA Image ID # 198285c62a

Introduction

The conclusion of World War I marked a historic milestone, as women were officially recognized as part of the military for the first time. Among these trailblazers were the telephone operators of the Signal Corps, whose critical work behind the front lines exemplified courage, discipline, and dedication. Operating within earshot of enemy artillery, these women were more than communicators—they were soldiers under the same military discipline as their male counterparts. Their contributions were made possible by their resilience and the support of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), which ensured their physical welfare and living arrangements amidst the chaos of war. This collaboration between the Signal Corps and the YWCA demonstrated resourcefulness and mutual respect, highlighting women's essential role in military operations and support systems during wartime.

For the first time in history, a great war was successfully concluded, with women officially recognized as part of the army. This recognition marked a significant shift in the role of women in war, a moment of historical importance.

The women telephone operators of the Signal Corps, often overlooked in the shadow of the nurses, have played a remarkable role. Their units, located a mere twelve miles behind the firing line, faced the same dangers as those within range of the Teuton guns, a testament to their bravery and resilience.

These women, often referred to as 'girls ', were not just telephone operators, but soldiers under the same military rule as the Sammies in the trenches. They adhered to strict discipline, reporting to their chief operator and earning the nation's trust with the 'U. S.' symbol on their collars.

It is interesting to know that housing these units was also officially entrusted to women. The government asked the Young Women's Christian Association, which is prepared for such service with its equipment, personnel, and fifty-two years of experience in housing women, to look after every unit's physical welfare in France.

This was achieved in every instance, though obtaining lodgings, servants, and rations in headquarters towns was almost impossible. The fearful cost of bare necessities made it a real problem to keep expenses within reach of the women, who shared all house expenses on a cooperative basis. Their resourcefulness in managing these challenges is truly admirable.

The $15 per week, which is usually averaged to live, was considered a genius achievement by the interested army men, who had had to pay as much as $7 for a single dinner in Paris.

"Hominess" a Feature

The houses were almost always attractive old French establishments, sometimes with the quaintest of gardens and gorgeous shrubbery.

Even the officers flocked to the side of the grate fire and absorbed the undeniable air of American "hominess." Again, the place was only a set of rooms, but the unit's home was the best obtainable, whatever its nature.

In many cases, it was better than the officers stationed in a town declared possible to obtain, as in one village very near the front, just before the last big drive, where the YWCA secretary in charge of the unit to be moved there, got hold of a splendid house, a feat which had been proclaimed impossible.

Incidentally, this particular finding of lodgings made it possible to have the unit close to the action. It put through such perfect connections that a good share of the incredible drive's success is credited to these women telephone operators.

Now the Signal Corps is in Germany with the Army of Occupation—and there is the YWCA, too, which has just reported the establishment of two hostess houses "somewhere in Germany" for the use of American women canteen workers and Signal Corps girls who have advanced with the A. E. F.

Since the signing of the armistice, a Signal Corps girl's life has been restless and shifting, as she found herself moved from one town to another, from France to Germany and back again, without choice or warning.

She was sent to Paris to the Peace Conference or Coblenz—it was the fortune of war. But so long as the Y. W. .C A. went with her, she found herself not totally without comforts. At Christmas, she fared well, for two telephone companies sent Christmas money for parties and chocolates and such feminine luxuries as beauty pins.

One of these companies sent the money through its employees, who gave up a stock dividend to provide all the units abroad with an American Christmas.

The YWCA's first work with the Signal Corps came about by accident. In its hurry and rush of detail, the government was unable to procure housing facilities for the first unit to go abroad. The unit did not know when it was to embark and so could not get lodgings as scattered individuals.

The girls were to be housed in warehouses on Hoboken's docks while waiting to sail—an uncomfortable arrangement. Miss Vera Schaefer of the Industrial Department of the Young Women's Christian Association, who had had many telephone girls in her club work, heard of this condition and received permission to bring the unit to the YWCA's National Training School, where it provided cots and cleanliness and food, at any rate.

When this same unit was due to arrive in France, the officers in charge of billeting it desperately went to the Hotel Petrograd, the YWCA hostess house in Paris. They asked to have the girls taken care of there.

As a result of its quick-measure assistance, the government decided that women were the best providers for women's needs and that the YWCA was the most efficient provider on the list of women who would do so.

Conclusion

The women of the Signal Corps, supported by the YWCA, embodied a new era of military service and gender roles, proving their invaluable worth in the face of immense challenges. From maintaining flawless communication lines during pivotal military campaigns to navigating the difficulties of wartime housing, these women displayed extraordinary resolve and ingenuity. The YWCA's role in providing comfort, community, and practical support ensured these trailblazers could perform their duties effectively, even in the most adverse conditions. Together, they set a precedent for women's military involvement and laid the groundwork for greater opportunities in the future, leaving a legacy of courage, innovation, and service.

Based on the article by Marjorie Kinnan, Blue Triangle Follows the Switchboard, in Southern Telephone News, Atlanta: Southern Group of Bell Telephone Companies, Vol. 7, No. 4, April 1919, p. 15.