The Yeoman (F)
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Gee! I Wish I Were a Man . . . I'd
Join the Navy
1917
Howard Chandler Christy
The Mariners' Museum,
Gift of U.S. Navy Recruiting Station
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During World War I, the navy faced a shortage of sailors, as many
men who might otherwise have served aboard ship remained occupied
with clerical work on shore. Realizing that women might be the solution
to the problem, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels asked,
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I Want You
1917
Howard Chandler Christy
The Mariners' Museum,
Gift of the U.S. Navy
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"Is there any law that says a yeoman [sailor
of lowest rank] must be a man?" The answer, of course, was "No,"
and on March 19, 1917, under the Naval Reserve Force Act, about one
hundred women enrolled as yeomen and began performing mostly clerical
duties for their country.
No woman was enrolled at a higher rank than chief yeoman, even if
she had a college education or experience in typing or telegraph use.
Other jobs performed by the new yeomen included translator, draftsman,
fingerprint expert, camouflage designer, recruiter, and electrician.
The letter "F" (for female) was added to "yeoman"
when a few women were assigned to sea duty aboard battleships. Many
regular naval officers called the new recruits "yeomanettes."
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Eloise Fort and Lassie Kelly, Yeomen
(F) in Summer Uniform
U.S. Navy
The Mariners' Museum Research Library and Archives |
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Yeomen (F) in Winter Uniforms at the
Navy Yard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
U.S. Navy
The Mariners' Museum Research Library and Archives
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There were no uniforms for the new naval recruits, so many made
up their own designs. In May 1918 uniforms were supplied, but they
were so unattractive that many women had them altered.
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Yeoman (F) Working with Captain George
R. Slocum
Courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical
Center
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Yeomen (F) in Summer Uniforms at the
U.S. Naval Training Station, New Orleans
1918
U.S. Navy
The Mariners' Museum Research Library and Archives |
After the war, many women were allowed to stay
on to type the discharge papers of the regular sailors. When this
task was completed in 1919, all yeomen (F) were discharged.
Section 3 of 5 |
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