6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
Battalion
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion was the only all-black unit of the Women's Army Corps to serve overseas during the Second World War.
The Battalion was made up of 855 enlisted women and officers under the command of Major Charity Adams Earley. Thought the majority of the women of the 6888th worked as postal clerks, the unit also employed cooks, mechanics and other supporting roles in order to serve self-sufficiently.
The 6888th arrived in Glasgow on 12 February 1945, and was transported to Birmingham and given accomodation in a former school building. They were tasked with processing and delivering the backlog of mail sent to American troops serving in Britain, and ultimately sifted around 195,000 pieces of mail a day.
The backlog in Britain was cleared by May 1945, when the 6888th we shipped to France to clear a similar postal backlog in Rouen. Upon clearing this backlog in October, the women were sent to Paris.
In February 1946, the 6888th were returned to the United States and disbanded at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
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Unit stations
Station | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Based |
Birmingham |
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Women's Army Corps 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
- Service Numbers: A217520
- Highest Rank: Technician Fourth Grade
- Role/Job: Mail handler