“In the dark final days of the war they helped save thousands of lives, provided cheer to fatigued troops, and gave hope.”

By George Yagi Jr.

FOR MANY WHO look back on the Salvation Army during World War One, among the first things that might come to mind are the famous doughnut girls. Although the iconic young women volunteers who staffed the charity’s impromptu field kitchens have certainly become an enduring symbol of the war, there was much more to their efforts on the Western Front.

Ultimately, 250 members of the Salvation Army would travel to Europe before war’s end — 132 men and 109 women. Each volunteer was supplied with a gas mask, a rubber blanket, a steel helmet and a revolver. All of them risked their lives to provide support and comfort to the American Expeditionary Forces.

Although exposed to many of the same dangers soldiers faced in the trenches, miraculously, not a single Salvationist would die on the battlefield. Their lone casualty, Major Stanley Barnes, was a victim of influenza.

Even prior to the contingent’s departure from the U.S., the volunteers were all well aware of what awaited them at the front.

“You are going overseas to serve Christ,” Commander Evangeline Booth, the Salvation Army’s firebrand matron reminded them. “You must forget yourselves, be examples of His love, be willing to endure hardship, to lay down your lives, if need be, for His sake.”

While Salvationists served up their share of doughnuts, they also worked in field hospitals, staffed canteens and offered religious ministry for soldiers. Through their efforts, they played a major role in boosting morale and ensuring the well-being of many frightened young men who found themselves alone and far from home for the first time in their lives.

Throughout the war, Salvationists actively assisted in hospitals. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918, wounded soldiers arriving at Cheppy-en-Argonne would discover that there were no U.S. Army nurses on site, only four young women from the Salvation Army. During a period lasting 10 days, they would work round the clock in an attempt to save the lives of 7,500 injured personnel who passed through the station.

“How can I ever describe the busy days at that field hospital,” Lieutenant Alice McAllister would later remark of the experience. “The tents were filled with wounded and ambulances were going and coming continually.”

Among the numerous ambulances making those dangerous trips to and from the lines, 77 were operated by Salvation Army drivers. As the women struggled to treat the new arrivals, they often found themselves employed in shifts sometimes lasting as long as 22 hours.

Conditions at other hospitals were similar, but many doughboys would end up owing their survival to the care they received from Salvation Army volunteers.

Canteens operated by the Salvation Army also provided much needed comfort for American soldiers. These frontline rest stations did more than just hand out doughnuts, pies, coffee and cake to scared and exhausted fighting men. They also organized concerts, mended clothes, and sold items at prices that merely covered purchase expenses from suppliers.

“We opened up our canteen at 10 o’clock and all day long we stood at the counter dealing out candy, nuts, blanched almonds, cookies, figs, eggs, jam, and most everything one could think of,” recalled Captain Violet McAllister. “We didn’t finish until 10 p.m. and believe me, we were never more tired in our lives.”

For soldiers without money, the Salvationists also allowed them to buy on credit. Incredibly, the vast majority of doughboys settled up their accounts, despite the fact no records were kept.

The Salvation Army prided itself on the fact that no soldier in need was unfairly turned away. In return, their reputation for kindness would not be forgotten by the grateful troops. When the enemy counter-attacked at Nonsard and all the aid agencies’ canteens had to be evacuated, pilfering soldiers descended onto the sites to grab what they could. Remarkably, the looters spared the Salvation Army’s building, despite its having had a large hole blown through a wall and an unlocked front door.

A religious organization, the Salvation Army also ministered to the troops. Service to all those in need in the name of Christ was the order of the day; seeking converts was never the goal for the volunteers.

Their charitable philosophy was also applied to the enemy. During the final days of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Alice McAllister was asked to sing at a funeral for 25 men who had died at the field hospital where she was working. Among the fallen was a young German soldier.

“When the little service was over, the chaplain turned to a single grave, a little apart from the others, and said: ‘This grave contains the body of one of our enemies, and I think it is right that we should pray beside this grave too.’” McAllister recalled. “I will never forget that prayer as he besought comfort for this boy’s mother and relatives, although they were our enemies. It made me realize that we are all the children of God.”

The many kindnesses of the Salvationists did not go unnoticed. When the McAllister sisters were assigned to Brest’s Camp Pontenazen, as many as 3,600 troops would pack their auditorium for church services. During the meetings, hundreds of soldiers would stand when asked to bear witness to their faith, while as many as 50 regularly approached the makeshift altar to confess their sins. Throughout their stay in France, many Salvationists would sing, pray, and preach.  Consequently, their actions would have a lasting impact on the troops beyond the war.

“Don’t Forget the Salvation Army” was a popular song in the post-war United States. Click above to listen to it.

While famous for doughnuts, the charity did much more to alleviate the suffering of American doughboys on the Western Front. To boost morale, Lieutenant Colonel William S. Barker rightfully advised Booth to “send over some lassies.” In the dark final days of the war they helped save thousands of lives, provided cheer to fatigued troops, and gave hope with their religious ministry.

Even more admirable, they did so without complaint while suffering the same hardships as the men in the trenches. Soon after the war ended, a song appeared in 1919 entitled, “Don’t Forget the Salvation Army.” For many grateful doughboys, they would always remember the smiling volunteers, and in popular memory, they remain visible as the doughnut girls of the First World War. However, doughnuts are only a small part of their larger incredible story.

Dr. George Yagi Jr. is an award winning author and historian at the University of the Pacific. Follow him on Twitter @gyagi_jr