The Donut Dollies

They are coping and they are capable! They are the women of Britain's Auxiliary Territorial Service! Much like the American women of the WAAC, WAVES and Women's Marine Corps, the women of The ATS filled the roles of cooks, transportation, clerical roles and mechanics. The only difference? The ATS women were conscripted and granted full military status and yes, even their most well-known...

If you know us, you know that we will never turn down the opportunity to read a good book; bonus points if the book checks all our wartime boxes. Jan Cress Dondi's book, The Navigator's Letter, does just that! It turns out, a small town where everyone knows each other is not so small when wartime reaches America's doorstep in December 1941, especially for John B. White and Robert Cr...

This week we're taking a trip back to Thorpe Abbots with Masters of The Air's Spike White! Known for his portrayal of Lt. Charles A. Via- Co-Pilot of Blakely's Crew- part of the 100th's original cadre- Spike is a history buff in his own right! From his audition process to boot camp with the legendary Captain Dale Dye, to getting fully outfitted in authentic USAAF flight gear, S...

This week we're stepping into the darker side of women in wartime and uncovering the story of Eva Braun. Braun is most well known for being Adolf Hitler's companion for the duration of the war, before becoming his wife, which only lasted a day. The story of how she came to be part of the inner circle of history's most morally corrupt man, and whether she made those decisions of soun...

Joining us this week is the man who's laced up the boots of two very important figures in wartime history, Corin Silva! From a hardheaded USAAF Colonel, to a soft-spoken, God-fearing man, Corin has shown us not only two sides of himself, but the juxtaposition of war. He's brought to the screen the 100th Bomb Group's Colonel John Bennett, and SAS Rogue Heroes Jim Almonds, and now he&...

Before there was 007 and James Bond there was the SOE. The Special Operations Executive brought some of the first and finest spies into occupied Germany during the war, hiding them in plain sight. Some of their best and most successful? The women of the SOE, of course! Join us as we unpack the history of the SOE and the women who made it famous. Yes you read that right! While The SOE did make a nu...

The Clubmobile is hitting the road! Well, sort of- we're actually in the War Wagon with Jeff Copsetta! If you're part of the history community, then you know Jeff; if not, we can't think of a better introduction! An Army veteran, living history preservationist, teacher and now, President of The Conservators of The Greatest Generation aka COGG. Jeff takes us through his journey of fa...

It's time for another episode in The Wives of The Bloody Hundredth series! Join us as we welcome Jana Hamilton Gruber to The Clubmobile! Jana is the daughter of 100th Bomb Group Bombardier Howard "Hambone" Hamilton, but her mother has quite a story of her own! One of the three Chicago Wives, famous for the "legs" picture, Gerry Hamilton lived alongside Jean Crosby and Marg...

What happens when you put four wwii history enthusiasts in one room...er, zoom? This week we're joined by Josh and Katie from Foxhole Chat Podcast and bringing you a good old-fashioned chat amongst friends! How did their podcast come to be, and what do they hope their listeners get out of each episode? Which of the Big Three is their favorite of the Hanks/Spielberg miniseries? We're comp...

Give us the simple life! This week we're joined by Jamie from On The Victory Homefront podcast, and we're talking all about life at home during wartime. Jamie, who's own podcast focuses on the goings on and management of life for those who remained at home during the war, brings her knowledge and expertise to The Clubmobile! How did a few simple changes make a big impact on the heal...

This week we're talking hostess'- no- not the cupcakes, the USO Hostess' during the war! These are the women who worked day and night in the USO Clubs so that soldiers had a safe way to socialize with women. A USO Hostess was classified as a respectable, middle-class woman, who worked tirelessly to help keep up the morale of young GIs. These women were trained on how to interact wit...

TEN-HUT! Beauty is officially on duty, and this one is for the gals! We're falling in line, at the makeup counter, and unpacking the importance of makeup during the war. Don't think we're serious? Well, red lipstick became an act of defiance against Hitler during the war, as he had been open about how much despised it. Morale boosters like Montezuma Red lipstick, made famous by Eliz...

If you think back to our last round of Book Club picks for 2025, you'll remember that we read When I Think Back: The War Letters of Fitje Pitts. The book, written by her son Tilghman (Tim) puts a timestamp on his mother's wartime service with the American Red Cross. Journeying from home to largely populated New York City, to Washington DC, and back, Fitje finally made the journey to Engl...

This week we're unpacking the impact of some of wartime's most influential women, who weren't actually real. The history of some of the most impactful women of wartime propaganda is that they were created in offices with the purpose of providing a morale boost to the women who were still at home. Faces like Rosie The Riveter, whose reminded women that they could join the factory wor...

We're back with a bonus episode! It's time for our quarterly Book Club roundup for January through March, and it wouldn't be a visit to the Book Club-Mobile without our official Book Club Correspondent, Sage! We read some incredible books to start off the year, and we're wasting no time in diving into them! We visit with the American ATA Pilots in Becky Aikman's Spitfires,...

Before joining the war effort in America, female pilots packed their bags and sailed to England. These women were the first to join the war effort, ferrying planes in the Air Transport Auxiliary, or The ATA. Known as Atta Girls, the story of these American women is brought to life by author Becky Aikman in her book, Spitfires. Beginning with Aviatrix Jackie Cochran, Spitfires tells the story of th...

Women's History Month is almost over, but it's not over yet! Helping us close out this incredible month is the newest installment in our Wive's of The Bloody Hundredth series; the story of WASP Josephine Pitz Egan. If her name sounds familiar, that's because she was also the wife of Hundredth Bomb Group pilot, John "Bucky" Egan, but a look at her life and story tells...

Chances are at some point we've all read The Diary of Anne Frank, more than likely as an assignment in grade school. But how much do you know about the women who crafted the plan to hide Anne and her family in plain sight? Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl put their lives at risk during the days of Amsterdam's German occupation in order to protect the lives of the innocent. A Small Light tells...

We're still celebrating Women's History Month in The Clubmobile and joining us this week is Mel Bloom, founder of The 350 Girls! Chances are you've seen The 350 Girls on social media; from women's history displays to living history talks and an arsenal of wartime uniforms, Mel is just one of many working to keep the legacy of the women who served alive, and she's sharing h...

It's Women's History Month and we're kicking it off with Emily Yellin! Author of what we proclaim to be the encyclopedia on women's history, Our Mother's War, Emily talks with us about her experience in writing the book that brings every avenue of women's wartime to life. Inspired by her own mother's service as a Red Cross Donut Dollie, Emily's research took...

Join us this week as we turn to the airwaves and turn up the volume on the history of two women who dominated the radio during the war. Axis Sally and Tokyo Rose shared the airwaves in two very different ways during the war; bringing some conflict to the European Theater, and sarcasm to the Pacific Theater, the women of the radio used their wit and feminine charm to serve the war effort in two ver...

If you've joined us for any of our previous episodes featuring members of the HBO War community, you’ve heard stories about Freddie Joe. Well, it's time to meet the man who helped whip them into shape! Joining us this week is the man, the myth, the legend, Freddie Joe Farnsworth. A military man who landed a career working alongside Captain Dale Dye and training some of the biggest actors...

This week we're bringing you the second half of our two-part series on Hollywood's golden girl, Carole Lombard. Joining us this week is Dr. Olympia Kiriakou, a film historian who's central focus is Classical Hollywood. Author of Becoming Carole Lombard: Stardom, Comedy and Legacy, Dr. Olympia brings a classic and fresh approach to the story of Carole's life, legacy and tragic d...

Joining us this week are the brilliant women behind the film that tells the story of Aviatrix Jackie Cochran. Jessica Plowden and Nancy Hasty's film The Flight of Jackie Cochran takes it's viewers back to a time before The WASP, before the war, and before Jackie Cochran was Jackie Cochran. In a small town in the panhandle of Florida, Jackie's story begins with Bessie Lee Pittman. Gr...

We're back for our first episode of the new year, and with our newest installment of The Wives of The Bloody Hundredth series! Joining us for our first episode of 2026 is Eloise-Marie Loeffler, daughter of WASP Marie Mountain Clark and 100th Bomb Group pilot John A. Clark. Following our review of Marie's book, we're getting her story, and what Marie, the mother, was like in the year...