Had good news. Col. came and told us we were going with the boys. It was what we wanted but oh my, the packing up. The boys helped and we had lots of fun. How we laughed. It made light of the work; it was soon done. The soldiers were very glad when they heard we were going with them. Then we went home and packed our own things and it took us till midnight. But it was great, going.
More Information
The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry.
Likely location: Lorraine sector, France
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April 1918 saw continued German offensives and growing American involvement in combat. Margaret was in the Lorraine sector, moving frequently as the military situation shifted. American units were being deployed to active combat sectors for the first time.
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 