Had breakfast at the Madames. Then to the hut. Put some things in order and washed all morning. After dinner, Ens. went to bed because her head was needing a rest. I wrote to the Capt. and went back to the hut and had a march with about ten children; not one could speak English. I told them to repeat after me, “Jesus loves little children and is not pleased when they are not good.” Had a very nice time. Then we had supper and then meeting. Had a very good meeting. About one hundred boys came, and I think ten raised their hands for prayer.
More Information
The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry.
Likely location: Demange-aux-Eaux, Meuse, France
📍 View this location on Google Maps
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 