Did not sleep much and got up early and made the fire and tried to get up the kitchen clean but could not because the men crowded in the hut and I was the only one to wait on them. I was a busy person. Mr. Wood and Mr. Fergesen came, and Miss Van Harden and Gladys went to the American Soldiers graves to put some flowers on them. I was left very busy at the counter. Maj. Achens is leaving in a car for the front. He is going with the 26th. Was talking to a man who lost two buddies. I fried 7 dozen eggs for the boys. A very noisy evening as the Germans are bombarding Neu La Tour and our place just rocked.
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
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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 