"If you don't know where you come from, you don't know where you're going." Sister Addie Wyatt
Clubmobiling in Occupied Germany 1946
Then there were three: Flo, Janet and Mary
My Mother and Audie Murphy Ch. 106
The clubmobile crew of Mary McAuliffe, Janet Potts and Florence Wick in occupied Borgen, Germany. The women are now allowed to wear pants and have been issued handsome uniforms. After having to scrounge vehicles to deliver donuts throughout 1944 and 45, the crew finally got its own clubmobile, the SageBrush. It had been attached to the 70th Infantry Division.Flo’s note on the back of the pictureReady for business in the SageBrushJanet poses with donuts in the new/used clubmobileServing coffee and donuts in what looks like a break in an archery or shooting competitionWorking during halftime at an army football gameFlo and Janet Mary McAuliff joined the crew in late 1945. She had probably served with another crew, but I can’t find more information about her. She doesn’t appear in “The Arc in the Storm,” the one book that lists the clubmobile women, but neither do most of the others who joined the North Africa/Italy campaign.Mary, Janet, FloWith “C” Company 3oth Infantry at Borken GermanyFlo and “her boys”I’ve no idea why the soldiers are wearing helmets in these pictures. The war was long over.
I'm a long-time tradeswoman activist, retired electrician and electrical inspector. I live in Santa Rosa, CA. molly-martin.com. I also share a travel blog with my wife Holly: travelswithmoho.wordpress.com.
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7 thoughts on “Clubmobiling in Occupied Germany 1946”
I love these, Molly – and you look so much like your mom!
She would be Mary E. (I think Elizabeth) McAuffy. Born Aug. 27, 1920 in Brooklyn.
Parents: Winifred B Mcauliff and Walter V Mcauliff
Left the United States in Feb 1945. There is clipping, dated April 1945, where it’s said “she has arrived in England for further assignement in the European Theatre of Operations as an American Red Cross staff assistant”
Married with William Robert Palmer. He died in 1959. It seems they had two daughters Andrea and Betsey.
Thanks so much for that information about Mary. It’s interesting that she was assigned to the European Theater and yet is not listed in the book with others. That’s why I thought she had been assigned to North Africa. Do you have any more info? And how did you find these details?
Oops, I’ve just notice I wrote “McAuffy” when the surname was Mcauliff.
Well, the list of “ARC in the Storm” is not complete, there are more women who served in Clubmobiles and they are not included. I don’t know why.
When I try to find info about one Red Cross worker the first I do is search in the “passengers lists”. Most of them returned to US by ship and in those lists we can find her birth date and the place where they were born. An adress. Sometimes when they left US … Those data are the staring point.
tradeswomn musings 
I love these, Molly – and you look so much like your mom!
xo Pam
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Thanks Pam. You met Flo didn’t you? She visited SF when we were roommates.
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Thanks
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Hello,
I don’t know if you have this about Mary.
She would be Mary E. (I think Elizabeth) McAuffy. Born Aug. 27, 1920 in Brooklyn.
Parents: Winifred B Mcauliff and Walter V Mcauliff
Left the United States in Feb 1945. There is clipping, dated April 1945, where it’s said “she has arrived in England for further assignement in the European Theatre of Operations as an American Red Cross staff assistant”
Married with William Robert Palmer. He died in 1959. It seems they had two daughters Andrea and Betsey.
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Thanks so much for that information about Mary. It’s interesting that she was assigned to the European Theater and yet is not listed in the book with others. That’s why I thought she had been assigned to North Africa. Do you have any more info? And how did you find these details?
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Hello again.
Oops, I’ve just notice I wrote “McAuffy” when the surname was Mcauliff.
Well, the list of “ARC in the Storm” is not complete, there are more women who served in Clubmobiles and they are not included. I don’t know why.
When I try to find info about one Red Cross worker the first I do is search in the “passengers lists”. Most of them returned to US by ship and in those lists we can find her birth date and the place where they were born. An adress. Sometimes when they left US … Those data are the staring point.
For example, Flo arrived N.Y. port 3/26/1946
Is there any possibility of sending you images?
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