The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the “Six Triple Eight,” was an all-female battalion that was formed as part of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. The battalion was made up of 855 women (predominantly African American, with a few Hispanic women among the number as well). These women used the motto “No mail, low morale” to inspire them to accomplish the near-impossible task of sorting two years of backlogged mail during World War II.
Maybe you’ve seen the new movie about the Six Triple Eight’s astounding service, or maybe you have an ancestor who served in the battalion. Either way, here is their inspiring story.
When Was the 6888th Battalion Formed?
The Women’s Army Corp (WAC) was created in July 1943. African American civic groups and political leaders worked with the United States War Department to allow Black women to join the WAC.
Even though many women of color enlisted to serve their country, discrimination persisted in the armed forces. Assigned only to menial cooking and cleaning jobs, many African American enlistees were disappointed. They had been promised by recruiters that they would have an opportunity to work in more skilled positions. When this didn’t happen, some women went on strike. Privates Anna Morrison, Mary Green, Alice Young, and Johnnie Murphy opted for a court martial rather than return to their duties of cleaning and cooking. Their defiance was likely a catalyst for the War Department to take these soldiers and their skills more seriously.
Initially, Black women soldiers were not expected to deploy to the European theater, but activist Mary McLeod Bethune and other political leaders convinced the War Department to deploy the women overseas. In December 1944, a new, all-Black battalion of the WAC was established. They would be known as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The “Six Triple Eight,” as they were nicknamed, had 855 women—824 enlisted soldiers and 31 officers.
What Did the 6888th Battalion Do?
Under the leadership of Major Charity Adams, the Six Triple Eight boarded the ship Ile de France on February 3, 1945, to sail for Europe. Near Britain, their ship was being followed by German U-boats. Quick thinking and evasive maneuvers resulted in their safe landing on February 11, 1945, in Glasgow, Scotland. The women then boarded a train to Birmingham, England.
Once they arrived in Birmingham, the 6888th was given the monumental task of clearing a two-year backlog of mail. This mail correspondence was between United States soldiers in the European theater and their loved ones back home. Mail was a morale booster for the soldiers and provided much-needed emotional support.
Undelivered letters and packages were piled to the ceilings of six airplane hangars. Many of the packages contained food that had rotted, attracting rats and other rodents. Poorly heated facilities only worsened working conditions, but the Six Triple Eight made “No mail, low morale” their motto and got to work.
Many letters had been undeliverable because of incomplete addresses to the soldiers. The women implemented a system that detailed tracking and cross-referencing incomplete addresses with military rosters. They were given 6 months to complete their mission of clearing the mail. They finished the monumental task in 3 months.
How did they do it? Major Adams divided her soldiers into three groups. Working in three 8-hour shifts, the group maintained a 24-hour operation. In her memoir, One Woman’s Army (page 151), Major Adams estimated that each shift sorted about 65,000 pieces of mail. This rate adds up to about 195,000 pieces of mail sorted every day and over 17 million pieces of mail sorted by the end of three months. Quite an impressive accomplishment!
After finishing in Birmingham, the ladies were sent to Rouen, France. It was here that the battalion had its first casualties. Private Mary Bankston and Private Mary Barlow were killed in a vehicle accident on 8 July 1945. A third soldier, Sergeant Dolores Browne, held on for 5 days until she too succumbed to her injuries from the accident.
The battalion’s final post was to Paris in October 1945. Here, they worked out of a garage. Their numbers dwindled as the war ended and soldiers returned home. Finally, the women of the 6888th went home in March 1946. Some continued their service in the military, and some used the GI Bill to further their education. Many were considered great contributors to their communities throughout their lives.
Bringing Their Story to the Screen
The Netflix-produced 2024 film titled The Six Triple Eight is directed by Tyler Perry and stars Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams and Milauna Jackson as Captain Abbie Noel Campbell. The inspiring story of the 6888th highlights the battalion’s incredible achievements and includes some personal stories of the women who served. The movie will be available to stream on Netflix starting 20 December 2024.
Thom Reed of FamilySearch had the opportunity to sit down with actress Milauna Jackson and three descendants of 6888th Battalion members to learn more about the incredible women of the 6888th and explore their family connections.
Meet the Women of the 6888th Battalion
This unique battalion was a cohesive, unified group of women between the ages of 17 and 52. They came from all walks of life and economic backgrounds. They were often complimented by high-ranking officers for their exemplary discipline and effectiveness. As of July 2024, only two members of the Six Triple Eight still survive: Major Fannie Griffin McClendon and Anna Mae Robertson.
You can get to know a little about most of these women by clicking their names on the FamilySearch Six Triple Eight memorial page. Thanks to the efforts of Debbie Ostler and a group of volunteers, memories and details of the lives of the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion have been preserved. Research was conducted about nearly all the 855 women in the Six Triple Eight. This memorial links to profiles of the women and includes historical, military, census, and other records of importance, as well as photos, stories, and newspaper clippings.
To learn about each woman, go to the Six Triple Eight memorial page. The soldiers are listed by default in alphabetical order by last name. If you'd like to see up to 100 soldiers on a page, scroll to the bottom of the screen to show a different number of results by page. To see more about a person you are interested in, click her name.
You will be directed to the FamilySearch ancestor page without having to sign in. You can discover each person’s life history, see photos and vital documents, learn about the world events that occurred during the person’s lifetime, and read about her extended family.
If you sign in with your free FamilySearch account, you can even see if you are related to one of the women of the 6888th. See this helpful article on how to view your relationship to someone in the shared family tree.
Discover Your Ancestor’s Inspiring Story
The story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion is a testament to the power of perseverance and unity and the impact of dedicated service. You could also have ancestors in your family line who served their country in the military or who overcame obstacles of prejudice and discrimination. FamilySearch has many resources to help you find their stories!
Researching Military Records
Check out the following blog posts for resources on researching your ancestors who lived during World War II.
Researching Your African American Ancestors
FamilySearch also has many resources for researching your ancestors of African descent.
For more in-depth research, the following articles can guide you on where to search:
- Getting Started with African American Research
- Quick Guide to African American Records
- African American Genealogy
- 10 Steps to Reclaiming Your African Roots
This search experience can also help you get started on finding records of Black ancestors who lived in the United States or Canada. You can search using a name, birth date, and place of residence. The discovery search will pull up the records FamilySearch has that match those search terms. With a free FamilySearch account, you can see even more results and see what records, photos, and stories other people may have added to ancestors you have in common in the shared family tree. Start your journey today to discover the inspiring stories of your ancestors!
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