Elizabeth Grace Erwin Bilson

The brief but essential military service of this New Jersey woman might have been forgotten had it not been for the grave marker shown above. Only two records could be found to document her role during World War I. One was the “Veterans Administration Master Index” which only listed her birth and death dates and the date of discharge. 

The other form, “Application for Headstone or Marker” included more information, like her rank. But what Elizabeth did in her position and where she worked must be assumed. The answer to how she found the job was easier; she followed her sister. 

She was the youngest of three girls in a Philadelphia family that moved to Haddon Heights, New Jersey as she began her teenage years. Elizabeth’s father, a printer for a book publisher, died in 1916. All three daughters were already in the work force, but a groundbreaking job opportunity was about to open.

As it grew likely that the United States would be involved in the First World War, the Navy realized it faced a critical personnel shortage. The Secretary of the Navy discovered that there was no legal reason preventing the enlistment of women to fill the clerical jobs, and this would relieve their male counterparts to be assigned to ships and overseas duty. 

Volunteers were recruited and 11,000 women responded, including two of the Erwin sisters. Anna May joined first, on June 1, 1918 and was given service number 1407443. Elizabeth followed on June 18, with service number 1407472. 

Most of the women held the rank of yeoman, but to distinguish between males and females the women’s rank was changed to yeoman (F). Because of her long experience as a secretary, Anna May became chief yeoman (F), and Elizabeth was yeoman (F) 2nd class. Several other women buried at Mount Moriah were yeomen and have notable life stories, including Kathryn Alcorn, Veronica Curran, Emma Murphy, and Margaret Paul.

It was a radical departure from the norm, and not without controversy. One retired officer vented this way: “Preposterous! First women wanted to vote. Then Alice Roosevelt started them smoking cigarettes. Now they’re talking about being soldiers. Next thing we know they’ll be cutting off their hair and wearing pants.”

The Erwin sisters weren’t about to do that. They most likely commuted to offices at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and worked long after the fighting had stopped because the paperwork didn’t. When their services were no longer needed, they were both discharged on August 6, 1919 and rejoined the civilian workforce. In fact, Anna May and the middle sister, Ethel, worked in offices, remained single, and lived together the rest of their lives until they died within six months of each other in 1969.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, only worked two years before marrying Walter Bilson in 1921. They soon built a home just six blocks away from the Erwins and lived there for at least the next 30 years. 

Walter had been in the Army, serving in France as an ordinance sergeant. He then became the manager of an auto body shop in Camden. When the owner shut down the garage in 1936, Walter started his own business as advertised here, and hired all of the employees from the former shop.

The Bilson’s first child was Walter Jr. (Wally) in 1923. Robert was next, born in 1926 but he lost his life to pneumonia after 11 months. Their daughter Betty Jane arrived in 1928, and both children continued the tradition of serving their country. Wally was in the Army during the Second World War while his sister joined the Women’s Air Force (WAF) right after it was created in 1948. 

Walter was buried here in 1951 beside the plot where their infant son was placed in 1927. Walter’s father and mother are here, as are 15 others from his mother’s family. Elizabeth was buried in 1967 after her last days were spent in a nursing home in Vineland, New Jersey. Wally joined his parents after his death in 1978.