Today in World War II History—June 1, 1943
Thursday, June 1, 2023 by Sarah Sundin
Publicity photo of Leslie Howard for Gone with the Wind, 1939 (public domain via Wikipedia)
80 Years Ago—June 1, 1943: German Ju 88s shoot down a DC-3 airliner flying from Portugal to England, killing 17, including British actor Leslie Howard (Gone With the Wind) and Wilfrid Israel, a German Jewish businessman who played a significant role rescuing Jews from the continent; Howard once told Israel, “You are the Scarlet Pimpernel. I’ve only played the part.”
Col. Florence Blanchfield becomes superintendent of the US Army Nurse Corps. (See my four-part series on the US Army Nurse Corps in World War II).
Frank Sinatra signs with Columbia Records as a solo artist.
Col. Florence Blanchfield, US Army Nurse Corps (US War Department photo)
