American Red Cross Clubmobile Service

Last updated
War and Peace Show 2010 GMC 6x6 US Army Field Red Cross Canteen, 4169405-S pic1.JPG
War and Peace Show 2010

The American Red Cross Clubmobile Service was a mobile service club created during World War II staffed by American Red Cross volunteers, often referred to as "Clubmobile girls" or "Donut Dollies," who provided servicemen with food, entertainment, and "a connection to home." [1]

Contents

Prominent New York Banker and American Red Cross Commissioner to Great Britain, Harvey D. Gibson, conceived of the Clubmobile Service to provide dispersed troops stationed in Great Britain and on European battlefronts with access to the services typical of the recreational clubs found in large cities. [1] [2]

The Clubmobile was a "single-decker bus fitted with coffee and doughnut-making equipment" as well as "chewing gum, cigarettes, magazines, newspaper, a phonograph, and vinyls." [2] The services provided by the Clubmobile were free, although some Clubmobiles began charging for food after 1942. [3] The original Clubmobiles operated from late 1942 until 1946, traveling throughout Great Britain and Europe.[ citation needed ]

History

Soldiers near an American Red Cross Clubmobile in the UK Soldiers near an American Red Cross Clubmobile - NARA - 195763.jpg
Soldiers near an American Red Cross Clubmobile in the UK

The first Clubmobile was a British Ford, with a 700-watt and 10-horsepower engine, staffed with three American Red Cross women who traveled throughout Great Britain, beginning on October 22, 1942. [4] After the first month of operation, the staffers requested that it would be standard for the vehicle to be supplied with records, gum, candy, cigarettes, and first aid kits to improve their services. [4]

After successful operations of the initial Clubmobile service in 1942, the American Red Cross expanded their Clubmobile services, and began using remodeled London Green Line buses in 1943. [5] These Clubmobiles were each fitted with a kitchen consisting of a built-in doughnut machine and a primus stove for heating water for coffee. One side of the kitchen opened out for serving food and drinks, while the rear of the Clubmobile consisted of a "lounge" area with built-in benches that also doubled as sleeping bunks.[ citation needed ]

The first instance in which Clubmobile services were provided on a large scale was during the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. [4] Around 100 GMC trucks were converted into Clubmobiles, each of which was driven and staffed by three American women. Like the original Clubmobiles, these trucks were also fitted with mini-kitchens. After the invasion, ten groups of Red Cross Clubmobile girls, with eight Clubmobiles per group, were sent to France. From this point on, the Clubmobiles traveled with the rear echelon of the Army Corps and received their orders from the Army for the duration of World War II. [4]

On May 23, 2012, S. Res 471 was passed, “commending the efforts of the women of the American Red Cross Clubmobiles for exemplary service during the Second World War.” [6]

Volunteer recruitment process

Helen Stevenson Meyner on ARC Clubmobile Clubmobile.jpg
Helen Stevenson Meyner on ARC Clubmobile

The Red Cross required female applicants for postings overseas to be between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five, college graduates, single, and "healthy, physically hardy, sociable and attractive." [2] [7] Red Cross recruiters considered reference letters, physical examinations, and personal interviews to ensure new volunteers were a good fit for their respective roles. Despite the nature of this work being that of volunteering, application was a very competitive process, as the Red Cross only accepted one in six applicants. [2]

Duties of staffers

American Red Cross Clubmobile at Alconbury American Red Cross Clubmobile at Alconbury.jpg
American Red Cross Clubmobile at Alconbury

The foremost duty of the American Red Cross women who volunteered their service on Clubmobiles was to lift the morale of homesick GIs overseas during World War II. While their concrete responsibilities extended to providing servicemen with food and entertainment, their most significant contributions were intangible, as there was an emphasis on the character and conduct of volunteers. [2] Volunteers received extended training and briefing to deliver the servicemen with the proper kind of support: "They knew the right slang, had the right look, knew how to take and make a wisecrack, and knew how to talk about baseball and apple pie." [4] Volunteers were instructed to encourage banter, look through photos with servicemen, and listen to their stories. [2]

The women who worked the Clubmobiles were initially stationed in a town near American Army installations and traveled to a different army base daily. The Clubmobile volunteers continued their service throughout France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany until V-E Day in 1945 and provided limited service in Great Britain and Germany until 1946. [8] A variation of the Clubmobiles would also operate during the Korean War. During the Vietnam War, a similar program operated as Supplemental Recreation Overseas Program. [9]

Gendered expectations and experiences

Red Cross "Volunteer for Victory" promotional poster Poster-red-cross-volunteer-for-victory.jpg
Red Cross "Volunteer for Victory" promotional poster

In the case of the American Red Cross and its Clubmobile program, it is true that unemployed women could experience life outside the domestic sphere while making meaningful contributions to their country's war efforts. However, the expectations female volunteers were expected to meet in their contributions were based on traditional notions of femininity. It is additionally valuable to consider that as a result of the application process and requirements, the demographic of Clubmobile volunteers produced was quite uniform in that these women were "by and large, white, middle to upper class and formally educated." [2]

Clubmobile girls were careful to avoid "mannish" stereotypes in how they presented. Because these women ultimately stood to remind servicemen of their significant others back home, there was an unenforceable expectation that they take the time to apply lipstick, nail polish, and perfume before interacting with servicemen. [2] These women were instructed to abstain from forming any romantic connections with the men they serviced. Perhaps it is, for this reason, Clubmobile women recall "feeling like a museum piece" for men to admire, but only from a proper distance. [2] In addition to the aesthetic expectations grounded in traditional notions of femininity, the nature of much of the work the Clubmobile volunteers did not deviate much from the kind of domestic work these women were expected to do on the home front before the war: "The work they did was traditionally defined as "women's": they cooked, cleaned up, and waited on men." [2]

While the standards Clubmobile volunteers were held to appear to have pandered to traditional ideals of femininity, centered on beauty, poise, and work that resembles the jobs typical of a homemaker, volunteers were still able to do meaningful work that temporarily granted them exposure to the public sector. It is likely for this reason scholars cite volunteer work as a meaningful outlet for the wartime woman. This sentiment is echoed in the primary sources recovered from this time in which Clubmobile women describe the nature of their work as "wonderful" and deeply rewarding. [2] In a letter home, one volunteer wrote that she felt "fortunate to be in [a] Clubmobile," adding that she "wouldn't trade [her experience] for anything else." [2] Perhaps seeing the men around them abandon all of their pre-war obligations to join their country's armed forces in conjunction with great urges from the government to "do your part" was the catalyst in women flocking to the Red Cross as a medium for wartime work. However, it was likely the connections women made in their work that propelled them to persist in their jobs, regardless of how difficult the circumstances may be or the extent to which the nature of their work mirrored domestic expectations.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doughnut</span> Sweet food made from deep-fried dough

A doughnut or donut is a type of pastry made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franchised specialty vendors. Doughnut is the traditional spelling, while donut is the simplified version; the terms are used interchangeably.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Service Organizations</span> American charitable organization

The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of War, and later with the Department of Defense (DoD), relying heavily on private contributions and on funds, goods, and services from various corporate and individual donors. Although it is congressionally chartered, it is not a government agency.

<i>China Beach</i> American television series (1988–1991)

China Beach is an American war drama television series set at an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War. The title refers to My Khe beach in the city of Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, nicknamed "China Beach" in English by American and Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War. The series originally ran on ABC for four seasons from April 27, 1988 to July 22, 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in the World Wars</span> Aspect of womens history

During both World Wars, women were required to undertake new roles in their respective national war efforts. Women across the world experienced severe setbacks as well as considerable societal progress during this timeframe. The two World Wars hinged as much on industrial production as they did on battlefield clashes. While some women managed to enter the traditionally male career paths, women, for the most part, were expected to be primarily involved in "duties at home" and "women's work," especially after the wars were over. On the other hand, the two wars also victimized women and subjected them to numerous incidences of sexual violence, abuse, and death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edith Nourse Rogers</span> American politician (1881–1960)

Edith Rogers was an American social welfare volunteer and politician who served as a Republican in the United States Congress. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts. Until 2012, she was the longest serving Congresswoman and was the longest serving female Representative until 2018. In her 35 years in the House of Representatives she was a powerful voice for veterans and sponsored seminal legislation, including the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, which provided educational and financial benefits for veterans returning home from World War II, the 1942 bill that created the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), and the 1943 bill that created the Women's Army Corps (WAC). She was also instrumental in bringing federal appropriations to her constituency, Massachusetts's 5th congressional district. Her love and devotion to veterans and their complex needs upon returning to civilian life is represented by the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford Massachusetts that is named in her honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Stevenson Meyner</span> American politician (1928–1997)

Helen Day Stevenson Meyner was an American politician from New Jersey. A Democrat, Meyner served as a U.S. Representative from New Jersey from 1975 to 1979. As the wife of New Jersey Governor Robert B. Meyner, she was First Lady of New Jersey from 1957 to 1962. Meyner also served as a Red Cross nurse in Korea during the Korean War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Red Cross</span> American nonprofit humanitarian organization

The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the designated US affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the United States movement to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voluntary Aid Detachment</span> Voluntary unit of the British Empire

The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary unit of civilians providing nursing care for military personnel in the United Kingdom and various other countries in the British Empire. The most important periods of operation for these units were during World War I and World War II. Although VADs were intimately bound up in the war effort, they were not military nurses, as they were not under the control of the military, unlike the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service, and the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service. The VAD nurses worked in field hospitals, i.e., close to the battlefield, and in longer-term places of recuperation back in Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Donut Day</span> Holiday in the United States

National Donut Day or National Doughnut Day, celebrated in the United States and in some other countries, is on the first Friday of June of each year, succeeding the doughnut event created by The Salvation Army in Chicago in 1938 to honor those of their members who served doughnuts to soldiers during World War I. The holiday celebrates the doughnut. Many American doughnut stores offer free doughnuts on the occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Red Cross</span> New Zealand humanitarian organization

New Zealand Red Cross or Rīpeka Whero Aotearoa is a humanitarian organisation, which has more than 15,000 members and volunteers. In New Zealand, Red Cross delivers core community services, such as Meals on Wheels, Community Transport, Refugee Services, first aid courses and emergency management operations. Internationally, New Zealand Red Cross sends aid workers overseas to assist in areas where humanitarian assistance is needed; this includes disaster preparedness and response. In 2013, 17 workers were sent to the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan and in 2014, 18 New Zealand aid workers responded to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conscription in the United Kingdom</span> 20th century systems for compulsory military service in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, military conscription has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1920, and the second from 1939 to 1960. The last conscripted soldiers left the service in 1963.

A Touch of Home: The Vietnam War's Red Cross Girls is an American documentary film produced and directed by Patrick and Cheryl Fries. The film tells the story of 627 young American women who served in the American Red Cross Supplemental Recreation Overseas Program during the Vietnam War. It was screened in Dallas, Texas on April 21, 2007.

Joe J. Mason was Recreation Director for the City of Miami, Florida in the 1940s and 1950s. He volunteered during World War II to be an American Red Cross Field Director and serve overseas. He was first assigned to England and developed the Servicemen Center in Bristol, England. When the invasion of North Africa began, he was attached to the 9th Infantry Division commanded by General M. S. Eddy. During the African campaign he supported the troops by providing club facilities and services to the troops, both American and British. As a result of his efforts in both Africa and Sicily (1943), he was directed to receive the Medal of Freedom by the president (1945).

Canadian women in the World Wars became indispensable because the World Wars were total wars that required the maximum effort of the civilian population. While Canadians were deeply divided on the issue of conscription for men, there was wide agreement that women had important new roles to play in the home, in civic life, in industry, in nursing, and even in military uniforms. Historians debate whether there was much long-term impact on the postwar roles of women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Gordon (Red Cross)</span> American socialite, WWII Red Cross worker (1915–1946)

Jean Gordon was an American socialite and a Red Cross worker during World War II. A niece by marriage of General George S. Patton, some writers claim she had a long affair with Patton, allegedly beginning years before the war and continuing behind the front lines of wartime Europe. The published memoirs of Gordon's good friend, Patton's daughter Ruth Ellen, who also collaborated on her nephew Robert's work on the Pattons, as well as correspondence from Patton's wife, Beatrice, reveals that the family considered Gordon and Patton to have been in a romantic relationship. Patton's scholarly biographers disagree. After her lover returned to his wife, and shortly after Patton died, she committed suicide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in World War II</span> Aspect of womens history

Women took on many different roles during World War II, including as combatants and workers on the home front. “More than six million women took wartime jobs in factories, three million volunteered with the Red Cross, and over 200,000 served in the military.” The war involved global conflict on an unprecedented scale; the absolute urgency of mobilizing the entire population made the expansion of the role of women inevitable, although the particular roles varied from country to country. Millions of women of various ages were injured or died as a result of the war. “When the war ended, a majority of women wanted to keep their jobs and their new-found economic and social independence, but nearly all were laid off, as orders for war materials decreased and millions of men returned home from military service seeking jobs.” Because the war took such a toll on the nation, many women were left trying to work even when the men returned home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's University Club of Seattle</span> United States historic place

The Women's University Club of Seattle (WUC) is a social club for women located at 1105 Sixth Avenue in Seattle, Washington.

Donut Dollies may refer to:

The New Zealand Women's Land Army or Women's Land Corps was formed to supply New Zealand's agriculture during the Second World War, with a function similar to its British namesake. The organisation in New Zealand began in an ad hoc manner with volunteer groups set up in various regions as it became apparent that there was an acute labour shortage due to the mobilisation of male farm workers. A group of paid workers was set up in Matamata in November 1940. In November 1941 the Government announced that it would establish a national Women's Land Corps. City girls from the age of 18 and up were "sent to assist on sheep, cattle, dairy, orchard and poultry properties". Recruitment of members was originally undertaken by the Women's War Service Auxiliary, but the scheme was reorganised in September 1942 and redeveloped as the Women's Land Service. With the reorganisation the basic wages were increased, the uniform and working clothes were liberalised, farmers could employ their relatives, and district Man-Power Officers became responsible for recruitment. These changes made the Service more attractive to both women and farmers and membership increased during the following two years. Membership peaked in September 1944, when 2088 women were employed on farms, and declined after that due to the return of servicemen from overseas, women leaving to marry ex-servicemen and women resigning to take up better jobs. Recruitment stopped with the end of the war on 15th August 1945. A total of 2711 women were employed as members of the Service from the time it was reorganised in September 1942, making it the largest of the women's services raised by New Zealand during the war. The Service was disbanded in 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liz Richardson</span> Red Cross Clubmobiler

Elizabeth Ann Richardson (1918–1945) was a volunteer for the American Red Cross who served in a Clubmobile serving coffee and doughnuts to US troops during the invasion of France in the Second World War. She was killed in a Piper Cub plane crash near Rouen when flying to Paris in 1945 and is now one of the four women to be buried in the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. The other three women honored with burials there are African Americans who had served in the Army's unique 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and been killed in a Jeep accident.

References

  1. 1 2 Apple, Carolyn. "World War II: "Donut Dollies" & the American Red Cross". Delaware Historical & Cultural Affairs.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Madison, James (Fall 2007). "Wearing Lipstick to War".
  3. Joffe-Walt, Chana (July 13, 2012) "The Cost Of Free Doughnuts: 70 Years Of Regret" Accessed December 2012
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Ramsey, Julia A (August 6, 2011). ""Girls" in Name Only: A Study of American Red Cross Volunteers on the Frontlines of World War II". Thesis Submission: 1–143 via Auburn University.
  5. "World War II: "Donut Dollies" & the American Red Cross". Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs - State of Delaware. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  6. "S. RES. 471" (PDF). 23 May 2012.
  7. "Collection of the American Red Cross Clubmobile Service, 1940-1998 (inclusive), 1943-1946 (bulk)". Hollis for Archival Discovery.
  8. Fay, Elma Ernst, U.S.R.C. (November 2000)"A Brief History of Red Cross Clubmobiles in WWII" Accessed December 2012
  9. "'Donut Dollies' Supported Members of the Military during Vietnam, Other Wars". www.redcross.org. Retrieved 2024-01-29.

Further reading

Urea, Luis Alberto (2023) Good Night Irene New York: Little Brown and Company