SIGNAL BRANCH - 1945
the Franklin Evening Star - 03 July 1945
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CAMP ATTERBURY, July 3.  The Post Signal Branch has joined other departments at Atterbury in the "all out" program for meeting demands of the Army as a result of the activities brought about by the redeployment program. According to Maj. Taylor C. Smith, Post Signal Officer, the amount of traffic passing through the Post Signal Center has more than doubled since the first of the year, calling for the installation of new and improved equipment to meet its increased activity.

SIGNAL CENTER

The Signal Center is responsible for all incoming and outgoing post telegraph communications, both official and personal. For the convenience of the camp personnel, all telegraphed incoming money orders are received in this section. The addition of new and improved teletype machines has made it possible to double the flow of traffic through this section, until at the present time an average of 700 telegrams are being processed through here daily. The Signal Center Is under the general supervision of the Signal officer. with Sgt. June Bockus in charge.

The Property Section under the supervision of Sgt. Ray Johnson. with Patricia Streif as Chief Clerk, handles issuance of signal supplies and equipment for the entire post, and makes disposition of returned unserviceable equipment. The activity of tile section was greatly increased will the training program !set up at Wakeman General Hospital last January.

TELEPHONE CENTER

The Telephone Center furnishes and maintains all pay stations and official telephone service in the camp. The current redeployment program has brought about a more noticeable increase in personnel and equipment in the telephone center than in any other section. Until last October the official telephone exchange was operating with 10 operators; since then the flow of traffic has increased to such all extent that the services of 60 operators are being used.

Its personnel, all civilian, are expertly trained Indiana Bell Telephone Co. operators. In order to meet the present emergency. the Bell Telephone Co. has transferred these employees to the camp on a "loan'' basis-for as long as their services are imperative to the Army needs.

H. W. Garrett, Indiana Bell Co. Camp Manager, states that the problem of keeping abreast of movement work under "split-second" conditions and coordinating activities with the ever increasing demands for telephone service in the entire post has kept the telephone company working at capacity. As an example: During the past week two additional large cables have been placed into service to relieve congested conditions in the hospital and in the Reception Station and Separation Center areas.

The Chief Operator in charge of the official Private Board Exchange or PBX is Frances M. White. This PBX Board handles all official calls coming in for the Post Commander, as well as all concession calls for the post. The flow of traffic through the telephone exchange has increased until the added equipment installed within the past two weeks now enables this department to handle all of its long distance calm instead of placing them through the metropolitan exchanges with their limited equipment has heretofore demanded.

According to Miss White. this independent operation facilitates a much quicker and more efficient routing of calls, until at present more than 600 long distance calls are being handled daily.

As Chief Operator, Miss White has charge of the 60 operators, with the assistance of six supervisors and two senior clerks. In order that the operators may more conveniently work the shift hours, the camp has installed two attractive barracks for them near the Signal Office.

A unique feature of the telephone exchange is a five-call conference line which enables five persons, including two long distance, to confer at one time. Installed in Fire Department headquarters Is a ten-call conference wire for emergency duty, should fire break out oil the post-notifying simultaneously the water pumping station, hospital admissions and dispositions office, the Past Engineer, Military Police headquarters, and others.

The telephone exchange also views with pride the portable phone service installed in every ward in Wakeman. This service enables every patient upon request to have a phone plugged near his bed ready to handle his call immediately. It operates on a twelve hour basis - from 1000 to 2200 daily, and serves approximately 3,000 patients. 

Working in conjunction with the telephone exchange are the five attendant pay station centers strategically located throughout the camp for "unofficial" or personal calls and for the use of all enlisted personnel on the post in placing their long distance calls. In addition to the attended pay station locations there are approximately 40 unattended pay telephones scattered throughout the Post.

PHOTO LABORATORY

Handling most of the photography for the post is the chief job of the Photo Laboratory. Under the supervision of T/4 Raymond Voiers who handles the administrative part of the work, with Cpl. Bernard Wigand as chief photographer,  the duties of the section include taking and printing pictures of civilian personnel to be used on camp passes, taking of pictures of officers for their identification cards, processing pictures for the Camp Crier and numerous other jobs.

FILM LIBRARY

The Film Library, under the supervision of Sgt. Andrew Seckar, provides all training and orientation films for the post, for the purpose of coordinating the training program with training films. Special 16 mm projectors are loaned with the film, and the Library serves the Reception and Separation Centers, Reception Station, Special Training Unit, as well as post complement personnel.

The Library boasts a small, fully equipped theater. Here officers may preview film to determine those appropriate for the needs of their specific unit.

RADIO-TELEPHONE MAINTENANCE

The Radio and Telephone Operational and Maintenance Section under the supervision of T/4 Paul E. Page maintains the post's Police Guard Patrol System, maintaining five radio police cars. Their two-way radio system is connected directly to the office of the Provost Marshal. Other duties of this section include maintenance of 13 electric organs on the post, amplifier and intercommunication speaker systems and maintenance of the Firing Range communication system.

MAJOR SMITH

Maj. Taylor C. Smith. Post Signal Officer, has watched Camp Atterbury grow from a bare skeleton camp through many phases to what is now one of the largest War Department Personnel Centers in the country.

His army career began in 1921 when he enlisted in the Indiana National Guard, serving periodically until 1938, when he was commissioned in a field artillery unit. In November. 1941, he was released from service, but was recalled as a 1st lieutenant in April, 1942, and assigned to the Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth. N. J. He was later stationed at Ft. Hayes. Ohio. and to June. 1942, came to Camp Atterbury and was assigned to his present position. In civilian life Maj. Smith was a portrait photographer.  He is married and resides in Franklin, Ind.

Civilian Employees of Post Signal Center Pictured Together
Civilian employees of the Post Signal Office, including those on the Indiana Bell Telephone Co. staff, are, l-r: Polly Ann Sheets, Mary Lou Hickey, Virginia L. Mills, Gailen Abbett, Commercial Department Indiana Bell; Beatrice Phillips, Plant Department, Indiana Bell; Beatrice L. Gardner, Patricia Strief.  2nd Row: Patti South, Commercial Department, Indiana Bell, William Schafer, Virgil A. Wallack, Wire Chief, Indiana Bell; H. W. Garrett, Indiana Bell Camp Manager; Jayne Krenrich

A Negative Becomes A Photo
The Photo Laboratory develops and prints all photographs taken for identification, technical or publicity purposes on the Post.  Printing pictures for THE CRIER are Pvt Ralph N. May (left) and T/5 Ernest Phillips.

Films for Training and Orientation
The Film Library supplies Post units with all training and orientation films.  Here Evelyn Trumphour replaces a reel as T/4 Andrew Sedhkar rewinds a film.

Military Personnel Staff Center 'Round the Clock
(l-r): Sgt Robert E. York, T/4 Paul Page, T/4 June Bockus, Pvt Virginia Owen, Maj. Taylor C. Smith, Pfc Vera Norris, T/4 Stanley Limpinski, T/4 George Gest, Pvt Jerry Davis.  2nd Row: Cpl Bernard Wigand, T/5 William J. Leggs, T/3 Raymond Johnson, T/5 Herbert A. Meinerding, Pfc Chester Triplet, T/4 Andrew Sechkar, T/5 Ernest Phillips, Pvt Ralph May, T/4 Raymond Voiers.  The WACs are members of WAC Section, Station Complement, and the men are with Headquarters Section, Station Complement.

The Official Private Board Exchange (PBX) Force
(l-r): Anna Belle Hendrickson, Senior Clerk, Maxine Gilbert, Senior Clerk, Leah Jane McElheny, Ruth Millette, Frances M. White, Chief Operator, Jean Fields, Francis Perkins, Jeanetta Reed, Margaret Gee, Supervisor.  2nd Row: Claribel Axer, Evelyn Parish, Edna Boyd, Jo Ann Parrett, Martha Brummett, Betty Morge, Opal Stover, Barbara Prall, Myla Vandercook, Dorothy Eshelman.

More of "Number, Please" Staff Pause From Duties For Picture.
More operators who handle unofficial pay station calls are: l-r: Bernice Spitz, Supervisor; Mary Dailey, Essie Brent, Supervisor; Suzanne Dyson, Virginia Barnes, Joan Hammondtree, Virginia La Bontie, Joy Culter.  2nd Row: Doris Overholser, Agnes Mahan, Mildred Browing, Helen Ricks, Frances M. White, Chief Operator; Betty Riley, Esther Phillips, Catherine Olvaney.  Not present: Lavon Erickson, Supervisor; Phyliss Waltman and Andrey Cook and Gladys Oswald, Housemothers.

The Signal Property Warehouse receives and issues the many items required by the Signal Branch.  Checking stock are T/4 George Gest (kneeling) and T/3 Raymond E. Johnson.

Beatrice Gardner, teletype operator, is shown at the keyboard of one of the three machines with which the Signal Center is equipped.

Here Are the Voices You Hear from the Pay Stations
Unofficial operators who handle pay station calls are, l-r: Mary Loch Darnold, Dorothy Gable, Barbara Shull, June Rose, Jean Gardner, Martha Goble, Rosetta Gootie, Betty Cox, Ruth Shively, Supervisor.  2nd Row: Virginia Johnson, Alma Swinehart, Francis M. White, Chief Operator; Nora La Bounty, Marjorie Ormsby, Jean Kincaid, and Nila Smith.