Had a pleasant but cold day. Stayed home all morning. After dinner I took a hike to the next town, Chaument. A wonderful village. It is built around a hill. Saw the church that is 16 hundred years old. It is built on a hill and there are about six dozen steps to walk up. Saw an old lady 87 years old who walked 12 kilometers and was not tired. The happiest old lady. Another one I talked to was 76 and had dug and planted four acres of garden and was happy as a lark. Saw some Sisters and children who had fled from the war zone. Many refugees. The convent and Chapel was a very beautiful place. Wonderful kindness was shone us. Came home happy because of a cheerful day and the pleasure there is in life. Saw some very old trees in a fine park.
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 