Snowing very hard and it’s cold. The sun tries to shine. A large train of Red Cross men passed on their way to the front. The firing all the time is heavy. Saw many refuges go by and they did look as if they were suffering.
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 