"GIRLS" IN THE RED CROSS DURING WORLD WAR II : ONE POINT SIX MILLION MOLASSES DONUTS and MORAL SUPPORT

AUBURN EDU - JULIA RAMSEY THESIS 

Auburn University in Alabama offers submitted graduate thesis's online. Julia Ramsey was in the History Department and this is her thesis from 2011. Her paper is called "Girl" in Name Only: A Study of American Red Cross Volunteers On the Frontline of World War II."  It's about a hundred pages and worth the read. It's about women using volunteer work as a way to expand out of the home.

I learned that Clubmobiles were vehicles driven by women who visited troops, bringing burgers, donuts, cigarettes, and other items to the men in a show of support. Because they were considered to be non-military, these women sometimes got closer to the action than women had in any capacity before. The volunteers were strong, independent, and capable, able to handle being surrounded by men who might flirt and wisecrack with them, but the Red Cross needed to portray them as Girls, nonthreatening, so that they themselves would not be attacked. (The Red Cross has managed to keep functioning due to its helpful, non-military reputation.) 

A "Clubmobile" was thought of as a service club on wheels. The original plan was to provide more - movies, stage performances; think Bob Hope's USO shows to entertain the troops.

Try this on. The troops were likely to see action. These visits were a brief escape from the knowing that they might die.

The first Clubmobile went around the London area in October of 1942. Soon they would go to the European continent.  They were jeeps, buses, and trucks. Some carried a movie theatre on wheels.  American military leaders such as Dwight Eisenhower saw the goodness in this work and wanted their men to have Clubmobile services.

Page 9 and 10 EXCERPT:  (There are photos too!)

The Clubmobile that would be predominantly used on the European continent consisted of a converted 6 X 6 GMC truck equipped in the front half with a doughnut frying machine, six coffee urns, a working sink, running water, a water heater, and a portable field cooking range.

The back half of the truck contained a clubroom with books, a phonograph and speaker, and folding bunks for the women to sleep on when unable to return to their base at night.  .... Each vehicle carried a fifteen day supply of doughnuts and coffee and was staffed y three ARC women, who were responsible for driving, preparing and serving the doughnuts and coffee... Before deployment on the continent, the women staffing Clubmobiles endured a rigorous training period in England where they received instruction in driving and repairing their vehicles.