Had a very interesting time. The French band gave a program and we had a man speak. Rev. Ferdick from N.Y. At seven we had our own meeting and 22 raised their hands for prayer and 18 got saved. A fine time. At night all the trucks took men from the 26th and 28th to the front. The Germans gassed many of our men.
More Information
The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry.
Likely location: Picardy / Aisne sector, France
📍 View this location on Google Maps
By May 1918, the crisis on the Western Front was deepening. The German offensives had pushed deep into Allied lines. American forces fought their first major engagement at Cantigny on May 28. Margaret was near the Picardy/Aisne sector during this 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 