Good morning and what a fine morning it is. Had breakfast and went to the station to see if my trunks had arrived. They had, so back to the hotel to pack my clothes for my trip to the land of the Hun. Had dinner and then made a packet lunch and started on our way to see the war ruined land of France. In the party, there were three boys who had come over with me Sept. 12, 1917, and now we were the first to see Germany. We were going by motor and left Paris at 4:45 P.M., all in good spirits and out for a good time.
My trip into Germany: Party—Bertha Lorve, from Newark, New Jersey; Margaret Sheldon, Chicago; Dan Andrews, Connecticut; John Marshall, Minnesota; “Little Willie,” Fenton, Massachusetts.
Our first stopping place was the village of Meaux where we stayed overnight. In 1914, the Germans were only 4 kilometers from this place. We walked around and saw some of the fine works of art. We went to the hotel and got a room. It was very large. Large enough to hold a dance in it if we had the fiddler and time.
More Information
The following section provides historical context and is not part of the original diary entry.
Likely location: Paris to Meaux, France
📍 View this location on Google Maps
In January 1919, Margaret embarked on a remarkable motor tour through the former battlefields and into occupied Germany. She visited the devastated landscapes of Soissons, Reims, Verdun, and the Argonne before crossing into Luxembourg and Germany, reaching Koblenz where American forces were headquartered.
Research Links for Further Study
- U.S. Army Center of Military History. (n.d.). Occupation and demobilization, 1918–1923. U.S. Army.
- Regional History Institute. (n.d.). Coblenz — A real American city in Europe. In Stars and Stripes over the Rhine.
- 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 