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American Red Cross

   juli 1943

For their Clubmobiles The American Red Cross wanted to recruit skilled and attractive ‘all-American girls’ between 25 and 35 years with work experience and in good health. Dorothy Jane and her sister Grace volunteered midway through the war as volunteers.

Read the story: overview >

Departure for Europe

September 1943

Dorothy and her sister Grace followed a short training at the ARC. Then - in September 1943 - they left for Britain. They were assigned to Group F van de Clubmobiles. Their Clubmobile was named 'Atlanta’.

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Landing on Utah Beach

July 16, 1944

Dorothy Jane Burdge lands along with the other 'girls' of the American Red Cross Clubmobiles, Group F, on Utah Beach, 40 days after D-Day.From here her Clubmobile folllowed the VIII Corps.

See Dorothy's Combat route (1) >

Escaped from Bastogne

December 16, 1944, Bastogne

On december 16 F-Group was attacked by surprise during the Battle of the Bulge (German 'Ardennenoffensief' and four Clubmobiles just managed to escape before Bastogne was surrounded.The return trip takes them through the now well-known places in this offensive: St. Vith and Vielsalm.

See Dorothy's Combat route (2) >

Germany,

Siegfriedlinie, March 15, 1945

On March 15, 1945, the F-Group of the Red Cross Clubmobiles passed the German Siegfriedlinie and 10 days later they crossed the Moselle, and then crossed the Rhine at Koblenz. The march progressed rapidly.

See Dorothy's Combat route (3) >

The accident

Altenburg, May 1, 1945

During a rest period 1st Lieutenant Lee A. Branch makes 'round trips' with a captured Arado 96 plane. The Clubmobile girls are invited for a ride. Grace made the first flight, followed by Dorothy. And that went fatally wrong ...

See Dorothy's Combat route (4) >

Buried in Margraten

June 19, 1945

On May 4, 1945 Dorothy Jane was buried in Eisenach, Germany. A month later, she was transferred to the American cemetery in Margraten.

See Dorothy's Combat route (5) >

July 1943 (?)

Registration ARC

September 1943

to the UK

July 16, 1944

Landing on Utah Beach

March 15, 1945

Siegfriedlinie

May 1, 1945

Died on pleasure flight

June 19, 1945

Buried in Margraten, Block RR, Row 12 Grave 290

November 23, 1943

Departure for Europa

January 20, 1944

Arriving in England

June 1944

Landing Omaha Beach

US enters the war

December 11, 1941

Nazi Germany declares war on the US

Turnaround WWII

Februari 2, 1943

Battle of Stalingrad: Red Army defeats Germans

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Dorothy Jane Burdge

An American Red Cross 'girl'

Name: Dorothy Jane Burdge
Born: August 14, 1915
Died: May 1, 1945, 29 jaar
Rank & Military Component: American Red Cross
Cemetary: Block B, Row 7, Grave 4

In World War II the US military asked the American Rode Kruis to organize recreational activities, aimed at cheering up soldiers serving in theatres of operation. The Red Cross recruited some all American girls. Dorothy Jane and her sister signed up as volunteers and were deployed on a Clubmobile. A month after D-Day they landed with their Clubmobile on Utah Beach. From there, they accompanied the front line troops from Normandy to Paris, to Bastogne, then the Netherlands and finally Germany.

Dorothy Jane Burdge survived for 9 and a half months behind the front line, and died in tragic circumstances on May 1, 1945 during a pleasure flight.

De Clubmobiles were service clubs on wheels. In each Clubmobile there were three American girls. Clubmobiles traveled in the rear of an army corps and gave out free coffee, donuts, gum and cigarettes to the soldiers returning from the front. One journalist described the Red Cross girls in 1943 as 'the loveliest Army that has ever visited England'.

Dorothy Jane and Grace were assigned to one of the 10 Clubmobile Groups, Group 'F'. Each group consisted of 32 girls, 8 Clubmobiles, a Cinemobile, three supply trucks, two British Hillman-pick-up trucks and a jeep for the team leader. The Clubmobile where the 2 sisters worked was nicknamed "Atlanta".