Quite a day. It was payday for Co. S., Co. K. and I. Went to see the Gen. and they looked like real soldiers as they passed the hut. Five of the men were given the French War Cross and one was a Segt. who had been a soldier for 29 years and he was very happy. He had taken a German officer and two men. We had a meeting led by Maj. Achenson. All the men are at the front, and the few left expect to be called out because the men are going over the top on a charge. The lights are ordered out and there is a warning that perhaps we will be shelled. All the men volunteered for the battle.
More Information
The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry.
Likely location: Near the front lines, Lorraine sector, France
📍 View this location on Google Maps
March 1918 was dominated by the German Spring Offensive (Operation Michael), which began on March 21. Though the main blow fell further north, the entire Western Front was affected. Margaret was near the front lines in the Lorraine sector during this anxious period.
Research Links for Further Study
- Watson, A. (2016). German spring offensives 1918. In 1914-1918-Online: International Encyclopedia of the First World War. Freie Universität Berlin.
- 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.
Diary of a World War I Donut Girl 