Medivac C-47 shoot down

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Closer to the subject, two US nurses killed in air crashes:

27 July 1943:

The C-47 41-38643 of 54th TCS, PTCG, crashed 12 miles NE of Naknek Army Air Base, Alaska. Among the killed were the pilot, Carl T Moore, and a nurse and a technicien of Flight A, 805th Medical Air Evacuation Squadron, that were flying medical air evacuation in the area. The nurse, Lt Ruth L Gardiner, was said to have been the first American nurse to have died in the line of duty during WWII.

Source:
http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/wwwroot/numbered_studies/467615.pdf
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jul1943S.htm

24 February 1944:

The C-47 41-7725 of 12th TCS, 60th TCG carried to their death its aircrew (including Robert S Smith (pilot) and Cpl John H Arp) and their 18 passengers (a nurse, 2nd Lt Elizabeth J Howren, and a technician from 807th Medical Air Evacuation Squadron and their 16 patients) when it crashed into the side of a mountain during an aerial evacuation. Apart form this accident, no deaths or harmful effect were noted among the 51 419 patients evacuated by auir in the MTO between September 1943 and May 1944.

Source:
http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/wwwroot/numbered_studies/467615.pdf
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Feb1944O.htm
http://www.abmc.gov/search/wwii_unit.php

[DavidIsby]

If you are looking for US Army nurses killed in air accidents, 22 in a single C-46 in India was the largest single loss of life of female personnel in the war.

Terrible, preventable accident. The O-6 that authorized the flight shot himself in remorse. My uncle (to whom I dedicated my Osprey on C-47s in the Pacific/CBI) identified the bodies from their dental records, recognizing some work he himself had done.

[RSwank]

The MACR for this crash, a C-47, is on fold3.com. The plane was attempting to land and made a turn too low and crashed. There are 27 names, all listed KNB (Killed Non Battle). The pilot was Nickolas J Mandoukas and the co-pilot was John J Lukaszczyk. Of the 25 passengers, it appears only 15 were female nurses (an N in their serial number and clearly a woman's name for 14 of them, the other was a woman Red Cross Nurse). The other 10 were male officers, one was listed as in the medical corps, one in the signal corps and the rest so not identified.

Out of curiosity, I looked up one of the names who was not identified as to branch of service.

Capt Charles Loucks was in the 3 Combat Cargo Grp.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...&GRid=56123713

[Brian]

Hi RSwank

Is there any chancethat you could list the names of the female nurses, please?

You wouldn't believe it, but only one hour ago I cancelled my one-month trial with Fold3.com!!

Cheers
Brian

[RSwank]

I will try to attach the page. This is the page of nurses. Note all have serial numbers starting with N except for the Red Cross Nurse. (If you have trouble reading the page, you can download it then enlarge and read it locally.)

[Brian]

Hi RSwank

Many thanks indeed - excellent.

Much appreciated

Brian