The river has overflowed its banks and all the low ground is flooded. The water looks fine flowing through the trees.
Twenty French soldiers and Capt. Mires of the U.S. went hunting in the forest and shot a wild hog. He was a big one. The one who fires the shot that kills the hog gets the head. They divide the carcass. This is the way the French spend their Sundays. The French government pays so much for each hog killed as they damage the crops.
More Information
The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry.
Likely location: Demange-aux-Eaux, Meuse, France
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In October 1917, the AEF was establishing its training camps in the Meuse department of Lorraine. Margaret and Helen Purviance set up one of the first Salvation Army huts near Demange-aux-Eaux, serving soldiers of the U.S. 1st Division. This was the beginning of the famous donut-making tradition.
Research Links for Further Study
- Library of Congress. (n.d.). The American Expeditionary Forces. Library of Congress Digital Collections.
- Boissoneault, L. (2017, April 12). The women who fried donuts and dodged bombs on the front lines of WWI. Smithsonian Magazine.
- Cantwell, C. (n.d.). Doughboys & doughnut girls: The Salvation Army and WWI. National WWI Museum and Memorial.
Diary of a World War I Donut Girl 