PFC Mary J. Barlow was a member of the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the six-triple eight. This battalion of 850 women was the only all-black Women's Army Corp unit to be deployed to Europe in WW2. It was commanded by L/C Charity Adams. They were postal clerks and were ordered to the UK in early 1945 to fix the 4-6 months long backlog of mail to the troops. They were hugely successful cutting the backlog from months to just a few weeks. In June 1945 the six triple eight moved to Rouen, France to continue their postal duties. On July 8th Mary and two other members of her unit - Sgt Dolores M. Browne and PFC Mary H. Bankston were involved in a fatal jeep accident. Both Marys were killed instantly while Dolores succumbed to her injuries on July 13th. They are three of the four women buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, the other being Elizabeth Richardson, an American Red Cross volunteer.
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PFC Mary J. Barlow was a member of the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the six-triple eight. This battalion of 850 women was the only all-black Women's Army Corp unit to be deployed to Europe in WW2. It was commanded by L/C Charity Adams. They were postal clerks and were ordered to the UK in early 1945 to fix the 4-6 months long backlog of mail to the troops. They were hugely successful cutting the backlog from months to just a few weeks. In June 1945 the six triple eight moved to Rouen, France to continue their postal duties. On July 8th Mary and two other members of her unit - Sgt Dolores M. Browne and PFC Mary H. Bankston were involved in a fatal jeep accident. Both Marys were killed instantly while Dolores succumbed to her injuries on July 13th. They are three of the four women buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, the other being Elizabeth Richardson, an American Red Cross volunteer.
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Entered the service from Connecticut.
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