Raining. A great day.
Made fudge and donuts, one hundred and sixty cooking seven at a time. They went in about one hour with about 12 gallons of coffee.
Had a very pleasant visit from a Y.M.C.A. man called Mr. Porter, from California. He had lunch with us. His hut is in the next town.
Had two boys cutting wood which two others had brought. We gave them coffee and donuts. They said it was like home.
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 