Today in World War II History—June 1, 1943

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)

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