Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps Signaller c. 1917

• Software Used:
  Photoshop
• Client:
  Paul Johnson
• Artist:
  Doug Banks

Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps Signaller c. 1917

Stewartina Edmond Merson was born in Banchory in Scotland in October 1886 and joined the Post Office service in 1903 as a Learner. By 1907, she was a Switch Board operator and Telephonist in Aberdeen.

In 1917 she joined the WAAC most probably as a Telegraphist and worked in the Boulogne area – as Forewoman Merson, no. 993, Unit 3 Army PostalOffice. (‘Forewoman’ was the equivalent to a NCO Sergeant)

The studio photo was taken by Henri Caudevelle who was based in Boulogne. Stewartina’s uniform shows the Signal Corps blue and white armband and the stripe on the epaulette would have been brown for a clerical worker or claret for a driver (indicated by the leather gloves).