Women's History Month Tribute: The New London Women of World War I

Note: March is Women’s History Month.  March 8 marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day (IWD), a day on which to celebrate the political, social, and economic achievements of women. This article celebrates the trailblazing efforts of New London women in World War I. New London women signed up for service in the war at a rate exceeding 20 times the national average! The women in World War I were the first women in American history to be granted full military status and rank. It was due to their efforts that many more opportunities in the military have opened up for women of today.

World War I began in August of 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. The United States did not enter the war until April 6, 1917, and stayed involved until the Armistice of November 11, 1918—a period covering just over 19 months. Over 52,000 men and women from Connecticut served during the war. New London, at the time a town with a population of about 30,000, saw 1,456 of its residents participate in the war. A total of 41 New Londoners died in the war; 81 more were disabled and/or wounded. Interestingly, 84 women from New London participated in the war, an unusually high number for a town of its size. Six New London women—all nurses-- actually served overseas. One of the 41 casualties New London suffered during the Great War included a woman, Celia A. Sweeney, who died of the “Spanish flu” on October 10, 1918, one of 25 service members  from the city to die from the worst pandemic in history.

Of the 84 women from New London who served in the Great War, 78 of them did clerical work, usually in a naval office in New London or Groton. Gertrude E. Clendenen of 99 Willetts Avenue in New London and her younger sister, Ethel, are perfect examples of this type of duty (see photo of Gertrude). Both attained the rank of Yeoman 3rd class and worked at the U.S. Sub Base in New London, doing clerical work.

Another who performed clerical duties was Olive (Stark) O’Sullivan, born April 8, 1900. Olive lived at and joined the service when the war broke out. She was a stenographer for the U.S. Naval Reserve at the state pier in New London, attaining the rank of Yeoman 2nd class. Originally from Lyme, Olive also lived in Chester; Narbeth, Pa.; and Wilmington, Del., during her long, productive life. She died at the age of 102 on January 31, 2003, a lifelong member of the American Legion. Olive Stark O’Sullivan left behind 20 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren at the time of her death. (See photos.)

Other women were nurses. Some, like Marguerite Sullivan of 444 Williams Street, worked in hospitals in the United States. Marguerite, born August 31, 1891, worked in US General Hospital #1 in New York City for the duration of the war. Later, she worked at the Joseph Lawrence Hospital in New London. (See photo.)

Some nurses were sent overseas for frontline duty in France; others were sent to England. The six nurses who went overseas were Ruth Cottrell, Josephine Gomes, Gertrude Lane, Mary MacKeagan, Kathryn Prindiville, and Irene Wilson.  Josephine Louise Gomes was born on December 2, 1880. She served as a nurse in an American hospital in England from September 14, 1918, until May 30, 1919. She, too, later worked in the Joseph Lawrence Hospital in New London.

Ruth Cottrell of 27 Lee Avenue was born in New London on November 21, 1890. Ruth served in New York, New Jersey, and, finally, overseas from September 25, 1918 until June 23, 1919. She remained in the reserves after the war.

Gertrude O. Lane was born in Framingham, Mass. on July 6, 1887. She was assigned to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., shortly after enlisting; later, she went overseas where she served with the American Expeditionary Forces from September 14, 1918, until May 30, 1919—exactly the same overseas dates as Josephine Gomes!

Born in Canada on March 16, 1888, Mary MacKeagan of 98 Montauk Avenue, joined the service as a nurse on April 17, 1918—11 days after war had been declared. First stationed in New York, Mary later went overseas and logged the longest overseas service of any New London woman: June 11, 1918, to July 6, 1919. She also remained in the reserves after the war.

Kathryn Marie Prindiville, the second oldest of the women from New London who served, was born in Palmer, Mass., October 6, 1878. Appointed chief nurse at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Kathryn served overseas from September 14, 1918, until April 6, 1919. She was honorably discharged on April 29, 1919, and spent the rest of her life as a supervisory nurse at the Joseph Lawrence Hospital.

Irene Wilson, the oldest of the women from New London who served, was born on April 6, 1874, in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. First assigned to Fort Dix, Irene later spent time in New York before being shipped overseas. She served overseas exactly when Kathryn Prindiville did, returning on April 6, 1919—her 45th birthday! Irene later worked in the Lawrence Hospital as well.

Despite being exposed to numerous soldiers and nurses afflicted with the killer flu of 1918-19, remarkably none of the six nurses who served abroad died from it. Ironically, it was the clerical worker for the Navy in New London, Celia Agnes Sweeney, aged 23 years, who got the flu and died in a New London hospital on October 10, 1918—at the peak of flu infections worldwide. Celia A. Sweeney was one of 25 New Londoners who served in the First World War and perished from the dreaded disease. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19, by far the biggest killer of the war, was much more lethal than bombs and bullets.

The issue of women playing a role in combat is a modern one and was not even thought about in 1917-18. Therefore, the only role left for American women who entered the service during World War I was as support personnel, usually clerks or nurses. There was no draft for women for the war, but over 13,000 women nationwide joined the service, not even one-third of one percent of the 4.7 million total Americans in uniform during the war. All who joined volunteered to do so, and they were the first women in American history to hold rank in the military—a most significant milestone. The effective presence of women in the service during World War I undoubtedly paved the way for much greater participation in World War II, where over 350,000 women served. New London can be proud that so many of its local women—amazingly, nearly six percent of the total from the city who served in the war--took up the call of duty voluntarily during the war and “did their bit” not only in helping to secure the Allied victory but also to open up increased opportunities for women in future generations.

Notes and Sources:

1. Connecticut Service Records World War I, Vol. II.

2. The "Spanish" flu is a misnomer due to the fact that Spain was one of the few countries that did not censor articles about the pandemic; in fact, the disease probably started at an Army base in Kansas!

3. World War I deaths are usually estimated to be in the 15-16 million range--combatants and civilians; four to five times that number died from the influenza pandemic.

4. Information Please Almanac, 2010