The Salvation Army in World War I

How the Salvation Army Came to the Front Lines

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, several organizations mobilized to support American troops overseas. The YMCA, Red Cross, Knights of Columbus, and Jewish Welfare Board all established canteens and recreation facilities behind the lines. The Salvation Army, under the leadership of Commander Evangeline Booth, took a different approach.

Rather than setting up large institutional facilities in rear areas, the Salvation Army sent small teams of workers — often just two or three women with a male officer — to operate “huts” as close to the front lines as possible. These huts were whatever shelter could be found: abandoned buildings, dugouts, tents, or hastily constructed shacks. The goal was to be where the soldiers were, not where it was safe.

The first contingent of Salvation Army workers arrived in France in August 1917. Captain Margaret Sheldon and Lieutenant Helen Purviance were among this early group. They established their first hut near the AEF training area in the Meuse department of Lorraine.

The Donut: An Accidental Icon

The Salvation Army donut was born of necessity. With limited ingredients (flour, sugar, lard, and canned milk), limited equipment (often just a single small pot or a soldier’s helmet), and hundreds of hungry soldiers, the women needed something they could make quickly in large quantities. Pies and cakes were too slow. Donuts — fried a few at a time — were the answer.

The soldiers went wild for them. Demand far exceeded supply, and the women often worked through the night to fry enough. The donuts became legendary, and the Salvation Army women became known as “Donut Girls” or “Donut Lassies.” The term of endearment stuck, and to this day, National Doughnut Day (the first Friday in June) honors these WWI volunteers.

The Huts

A Salvation Army hut was far more than a donut stand. Margaret’s diary describes the full range of services: hot coffee and cocoa served around the clock, letter-writing materials and stamps, mending and sewing for soldiers’ uniforms, religious services and prayer meetings, a warm place to sit and talk, emergency first aid, and comfort for the wounded and dying.

The huts operated under dangerous conditions. They were frequently within range of German artillery, and the workers endured shelling, gas attacks, air raids, and the constant threat of injury. Several Salvation Army workers were wounded; remarkably, none were killed, though some came very close — as Margaret’s diary vividly records.

Legacy

The Salvation Army’s WWI service transformed its public image in America. Before the war, many Americans viewed the Salvation Army with suspicion or indifference. After the war, returning soldiers spoke so highly of “the Sally” that public support surged. The organization’s annual fundraising drives became major national events, and the Salvation Army emerged as one of the most trusted charities in the country — a position it holds to this day.

Further Reading