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Rand, Lindsay
Lindsay Rand American Red Cross WWII
Lindsay Rand American Red Cross WWII
  
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Date of Birth: 7/27/1916
Died On: 10/8/2001 Last Residence: 80209, Denver, Denver, Colorado
Street Address: 410 Boston Post Rd
Service Number: unknown
Branch of Service: American Red Cross-WWII


Veteran Code: ARC-4


BIOGRAPHY Extended Information
 
Josephine "Lindsey" Rand

Josephine "Lindsey" Rand was born July 22, 1916 in New York City to Lila Bradbury and Edward S. Rand. In Rye her family lived at 30 Cayuga Street. Lindsey attended Rye Country Day School, Garrison Forest School, and Pine Manor Junior College.

She enlisted and served in the American Red Cross during World War II. Lindsey served with a Red Cross Clubmobile units in England, France and Germany.

The Red Cross clubmobile was a mobile service unit, typically a converted bus or truck, staffed by American women volunteers (known as "Donut Dollies") during World War II. They provided servicemen with free coffee, doughnuts, entertainment, and a crucial connection to home, often operating near the front lines to boost morale.

The clubmobiles were staffed by crews of three American women, popularly known as "Donut Dollies". These volunteers were typically single, college-educated women between the ages of 25 and 35 who underwent a rigorous selection and training process. They faced the same dangers as the soldiers they served, including shelling and potential capture, and some were injured or killed in the line of duty.

Lindsay was the subject of a feature article in the Portchester Daily Item published February 6, 1945 where she talks about her Red Cross experience.



"When you see and know some of the swell kids who lose their lives, you realize only too well how every small effort counts" is the opinion of a Rye girl, one of thousands who are seeing what war means to the men. and women who are fighting it at close grips.
Miss Lindsay Rand, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Rand, 30 Cayuga Street, Rye, and she is seeing the war as A Red Cross Clubmobile captain serving bomber crews as they return from their missions over occupied Europe.
In a recent letter home Captain Rand said, "People back home may think they have hardships but I earnestly hope that none of my family is doing any complaining about rationing, *gas, food or mail troubles or anything else, for they are so immaterial. If you could only see and hear. some of the tragedies of real And here it cannot be as bad as forward where I might sometime be. Remember this- last man lives for nothing but return home, but not to a country that has 'beefed' because it lost some of its peacetime privileges."
Exacting is the Miss Rand's job and not the least of her tasks is the high volume of paper work. She orders supplies sufficient to serve approximately ten thousand men week. She is paymaster for staff and the extra help necessary to make doughnuts, clean the clubmobile and maintain it. In addition she keeps books on the living expense of her staff, rendering accounts for reimbursements.

Describes Yule Visit
"I believe the men got a out of our visits at Christmas,' kick Miss Rand has written. "We went to all our bases, the three of us dressed as Santa Claus. We served doughnuts out of white sacks over our shoulders and gave out candy, cards and other items. Our Clubs mobile was decorated inside and out. Christmas day we hired a pony and cart, decorated them and drove out to our favorite bases where we spent the day. We sang and rang, bells and had lots of fun. On both evenings we stayed at camp and had open house, as it were., It was a riot. Everyone from the e colonels down to the privates came in and helped us cook fresh doughnuts, so you see we were not lacking .in company. We had Christmas dinner in the evening at the base and believe me it was good. Everything from soup to nuts and a mighty fine turkey.
"One of our bases had a Christmas party, for a thousand children, who in turn, brought presents to be flown France for the French children, There was quite a little story to it, caught by newsreel cameramen and 'Life Magazine'. The ship that flew the presents to France was christened 'Liberty Run' with a cup of coffee from our Clubmobile!

Rigorous Life
Because Clubmobile operators are always working in the open, their lives are on the rigorous side. The way they are compelled to dress against the penetrating cold of the English Winter is described by Miss Rand as follows: "Starting from my feet uptwo pairs of socks, heavy GI shoes, somewhat like ski boots although not as heavy, also a pair of lined flying. boots; long johns, Royal Air slacks •(given to me), one undershirt, one heavy sweater, one regular blue shirt, another blue sweater,. my navy cardigan, my battle jacket that goes with the trousers and then a quilted flying jacket with a fur hood. So you see I really bundle up, and it seems to' me I wear nearly that much to bed."
The work done Miss Rand is to only one of the many phases of Red Cross activity which her fellow Rye residents will be asked to support in Rye's Red Cross War Fund drive for $44,500, which commences Feb. 27..



MISS LINDSAY RAND MARRIED IN PARIS; Red Cross Worker Is Bride of Capt. Hugh A. MacMillan Jr. of Army Medical Corps

Lindsey married Capt. Hugh A. MacMillan Jr. of Army Medical Corps in Paris on June 23, 1945. Thatcher M. Brown Jr., of Rye, a director of the American Red Cross in Paris, gave away the bride in marriage.

Captain MacMillan was an alumnus of Philip's Exeter Academy, Princeton University and Harvard Medical School and Roosevelt Hospital Surgery. Hugh served three years as a surgeon in the Army Medical Corps in England, Africa, Italy, France, and Austria. He retired as a major and was awarded the Bronze Star and seven battle stars.

After the war, the couple would move to Denver, CO in 1948 and had two children. They helped found the Colorado Outward Bound School and he served 30 years on its board. Lindsey volunteered for many community activities and was highly regarded as a noted painter.

Josephine "Lindsey" Rand MacMillan died on October 8, 2001, in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 85, and was buried there. Her husband, Hugh, pre-deceased her Sept. 14, 1994 and her son Edward Rand, who died in 1993. .

At the time of her death, she was survived by daughters Lindsay MacMillan and Mrs. Edward McMillan; a son Hugh A. III; and three grandchildren.
Links to this Veterans History

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