The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was created as part of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), or as it was later known, the Women’s Army Corps (WAC).  The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC, or later WAC) was established in March 1942 to encourage all Americans to get involved in the war efforts.  The War Department eventually opened the WAAC/WAC to African-American women, however, the Corps followed other military units of the time by segregating the African-American troops.  The African-American as well as Caribbean and Hispanic women who joined WAAC/WAC were segregated into separate units, quarters, and facilities than their white counterparts while on Army bases.  These women also faced barriers to enlisting as Post Office Branches around the country refused to aid them in obtaining enlistment applications and recruiters refused to enlist African-American women.  Women in general also faced opposition to joining in the war efforts directly through ridicule from those who believed that having women in the military broke the gender norms of the time. 

African-American women faced additional discrimination.  After completing basic training they were regularly passed over for special training and were often given menial jobs on military bases that did not make use of their previous experience.  Many had been teachers before joining the WAAC/WAC or held other professions that required advanced education.  Despite this, these women were often given menial labor jobs, such as cooking, baking, or cleaning.  Some military bases refused to even accept African-American WAAC/WACs, citing the lack of segregated facilities as an excuse to turn them away.  This resulted in many African-American WAAC/WACs remaining at basic training camps waiting to be assigned well after their training was completed.  Despite the discrimination that many of the WAAC/WACs faced, they often protested and were able to be reassigned to duties that better fit their skill sets.  One example of this was in Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky where WACs protested their menial jobs as cleaners, working in the laundry and were reassigned by the commanding general of the WAC Training Command to jobs that made use of their skills.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was formed through pressure from the civil and women’s rights activist Mary Mcleod Bethune.  Mary Mcleod Bethune and other African-American political leaders relentlessly championed the skills of the African-American WAAC/WACs to the War Department in hopes of creating a battalion deployed in Europe.  In December of 1944 the pressure paid off when the War Department agreed to form an African-American battalion through WAAC/WAC to deploy in Europe as a postal directory unit.  Major Charity Adams was chosen to lead the new battalion, while many African-American WAAC/WACs volunteered to join the newly established unit.  The battalion was assigned to Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia for overseas training in basic combat, identifying enemy aircraft and ships, gas mask training, obstacle courses, and received additional vaccinations.  While at Fort Oglethorpe the battalion continued to feel the sharp sting of discrimination, being assigned a separate water fountain than their fellow white soldiers, and several of the battalion’s officers were refused entrance into the Officer’s Club being given the excuse that the Club was “overbooked.”

On February 3, 1945, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion set sail for Europe in the Ile de France.  On February 11, 1945, they arrived at Glasgow, Scotland after running across a German U-boat, forcing the Ile de France to take evasive maneuvers for 45 minutes.  Upon the Battalion’s arrival in England, they were informed that their task was to deliver all the mail that was returned after the first delivery attempt.  They were given six months to accomplish this monumental task as there were over seven million U.S. personnel in Europe.  Often, mail was not able to be delivered to servicemen due to senders using incorrect, or outdated addresses.  There were also many servicemen with very similar names, which made delivering mail extremely difficult overseas.  The 6888th Battalion was located in a local school, with mail packages stacked to the ceiling as well as six airplane hangars full of Christmas packages that were unable to be delivered and thus fell to the 6888th Battalion. 

The 6888th Battalion was separated into a headquarters company and four postal directory companies.  They then further split into three 8-hour shifts to work 24 hours a day using locator cards to correctly match the mail with the name of the recipient servicemember.  Each shift processed an average of 65,000 pieces of mail, resulting in the Battalion delivering all the backlogged mail in half the time they were given (They delivered all mail in only three months).

After clearing the immense backlog of mail in England, the 6888th Battalion spent the remainder of the War moving around Europe.  They were moved to Rouen, France in May 1945 just days after Germany had surrendered.  While in Rouen, France the Battalion was self-reliant, with their own library, special services building, beauty parlor, recreation hall, and postal service center.  The Battalion continued to serve as the postal center for the local units.  The 6888th Battalion moved again in October 1945 to Paris, France for the final time in the War.  While in Paris the Battalion stayed in a hotel and worked out of a large garage.  Service members of the Battalion began to be discharged as early as November 1945 as the Battalion’s numbers went from 850-558 by the end of the month.  Despite losing about a third of the unit, the 6888th Battalion continued to work under a similar workload.  The Battalion hired French civilians to carry mail to servicemembers in order to cope with their dwindled forces but eventually had to send out search parties for the French civilians as many stole the mail they were sent to deliver.  The majority of the Battalion was eventually discharged in March 1946, continuing to complete their duties until then. 

The 6888th Battalion was well known for its speed and efficiency at delivering the immense backlog of mail that had accrued during the Second World War.  Delivery of the mail was a crucial aspect in the War as it kept the morale of the troops up knowing that their families and loved ones at home were safe and thinking of them.  The accomplishments of the 6888th Battalion was truly amazing, especially when considering the amount of discrimination they faced.  African-American politicians ran what they called the “Double V” campaign during the War, which stood for victory over the fascist Axis powers and local discrimination within the United States.  The 6888th Battalion members faced an additional discriminatory war over being women, as well as African-American.  However, in spite of all opposition the 6888th Division was able to accomplish an extraordinary feat, while also being considered one of the best run units in the war efforts due to their effectiveness and discipline.  The Battalion was able to prove to the United States and the world that they were just as capable as any unit in the War. 

The members of the 6888th Battalion continued to serve through their communities after returning from War.  Many were able to take advantage of the GI Bill to further their education and careers and stayed active in their communities.  Perhaps the most important legacy of the 6888th Division is the inspiration they served to other African-American women to serve in the United States Army with the percentage of African-American women going from 5.7% of the WAAC/WAC to 34.1% of the women in the Army in 2020.  This impactful legacy proves the lasting change they were able to create through their great service. 

The Maryland Two Fifty Commission is proud to recognize the 6888th Battalion members who served during World War II: Agnes E. Barnes PVT, Vivían N. Elzie 2LT, Mary Rebecca Jackson CPL, Laura Mae Jones PVT, Vashti Murphy Matthews PFC, Annie Beulah Moore PVT, Mary Catherine Nailor PVT, Emily Olive Noisette PFC, Thelma Alice Parker PVT, Ethel Philyaw UNK, Hortense Pollard PFC, Lucy Geraldine Pollitt PVT, Gloria A. Sydnor PVT, Catherine L. Tate PVT, Gloria Phenryne Taylor PVT, Grace Margaret Whyte PVT, Eleanor Anne Wilson PVT, and Vivian Winfred Young SGT.  The Maryland Two Fifty Commission is continuing to search for more 6888th Battalion members from Maryland.     

References

Cross, Nathan. “Research Guides: 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion: A Guide to First-Person Narratives in the Veterans History Project: Introduction.” Edited by Elizabeth Fulford et al., Introduction – 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion: A Guide to First-Person Narratives in the Veterans History Project – Research Guides at Library of Congress, 10 Jan. 2023, guides.loc.gov/6888th-central-postal-directory-battalion/introduction.