Made some pies and they went like mad. Miss Van Harden went to visit in the side car. It was a pretty day and a busy one. The planes were busy and there was a good bit of noise. Said goodbye to some of the boys from the 18th. They were going to the rest camp and I wouldn’t be with them again. There are some very fine boys. I had a wonderful box of flowers sent me from Nancy. They were the finest I ever saw. Just think, in the war zone and flowers to adorn the table.
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 