Telegraphist Signal Service.

[steve100]

I hope I ask this question like it makes some sort of sense.

Would a woman who was working as a Telegraphist in her local main Post Office pre 1917 and then became a Telegraphist in the Signal Service have stayed in her local town or remained land based elsewhere?

Steve

[jim1]

The Signals Service was part of the Royal Engineers & they were all men.
Women who served under the Colours were in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps.
Where has the info come from?

[steve100]

Thank you for the reply.
I knew the Signal Service were Royal Engineers and all men, I was just wondering if there were any exceptions to this?
I came across this lady listed in a Roll of Honour Book for WWI, she died at the end of 1918, and it seems in her local town.

Thank you again.
Steve.

[jim1]

Have you tried looking for her on the CWGC site?
What does it say about her in the Roll of Honour book?

[steve100]

She isn’t on the CWGC site, the Roll of Honour Book just states name and Telegraphist,Signal Service.

[Andy J2022]

As Jim1 says, she would have been in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, but from 1917 WAAC telegraphists and telephone switchboard operators were employed alongside men in the Lines of Communication signal offices in France and Flanders¹. The LofC was the located to the rear of the fighting area, and connected the Corps headquarters back to the Army HQs and GHQ, and to the supply dumps. If she remained in the UK, it is less likely that she would have been employed in her home town unless it was also a major garrison or a major supply depot was located there.

1. Source for this is A History of the Antecedents of the Royal Corps of Signals by Major General RFH Nalder 1958  page 116.

[jim1]

Sounds like a civilian signals service ie. Post Office.
Is the Roll of honour purely for Military personnel or Post Office or a mixture?

[steve100]

As Jim1 says, she would have been in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, but from 1917 WAAC telegraphists and telephone switchboard operators were employed alongside men in the Lines of Communication signal offices in France and Flanders¹. The LofC was the located to the rear of the fighting area, and connected the Corps headquarters back to the Army HQs and GHQ, and to the supply dumps. If she remained in the UK, it is less likely that she would have been employed in her home town unless it was also a major garrison or a major supply depot was located there.

1. Source for this is A History of the Antecedents of the Royal Corps of Signals by Major General RFH Nalder 1958  page 116.

She was from Newport,South wales, and I did wonder if she may have worked alongside men after 1917. Her death is shown in Newport December 1918, so I’m guessing it could have been from service or or more natural causes?She aged 31.

[steve100]

Sounds like a civilian signals service ie. Post Office.
Is the Roll of honour purely for Military personnel or Post Office or a mixture?

Purely military personnel as far as I can tell.