Alice Prescini - C-47 - 41-18603 - DNB 2 Feb 1945

[Leendert]

On the casualty list on this link https://images.findagrave.com/photos...1490446648.jpg there also is "Alice Prescini, ARC, PBS".

I wonder if "ARC" here means American Red Cross? This because some other sources speak of three nurses on board this C-47. Not sure if they mean the army nurses (N-number) only.

Ms Prescini has an entry on findagrave.com, but text doesn't offer more info.

Thanks for help.

Regards,


Leendert

[Sean Welch]

Alice Prescini was a civilian American Red Cross worker.
Two nurses, Marjorie McBride and Marion Phillips were also passengers and from 114 Station Hospital, Leghorn.
A total of 23 were killed in this tragic accident when C-47 41-18603 crashed into a mountain in bad weather 3 miles southwest of Montierei, Italy.
MACR 16420 refers.

Sean

[edwest2]

From the 6th General Hospital unit history.

"Early in 1944, the unit was reassigned to the newly organized Peninsular Base Section (PBS) in Italy."

I have reason to believe ARC or A.R.C. stood for American Red Cross. It appears these were volunteers who served in military units but were not 'official' like the WACS or WAVES.


Here is a brief description of the crash:

https://aviation-safety.net/database...?id=19450202-3


Here is a site that may have more information about her:

https://www.ancestry.com/search/coll...nursefilesww1/

[RSwank]

2nd Lt Jean V Herko was also a passenger on that flight and was an army nurse in addition to Phillips and McBride. Ancestry.com has no record of Alice Prescini other than a link to the findagrave site. In fact, the name Prescini comes up only for Alice in findagrave, there are no others with the last name Prescini.

[edwest2]

A list of the casualties:

https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/4...lip-j-lopresti


It includes the first page of a document that can be enlarged. It also has what appear to be service numbers.



Ed

[Leendert]

Thanks for additional info. As Rolland remarked, the name (Alice) Prescini doesn't show up anywhere else, which puzzles me a bit. Correct spelling of surname?

I read that the ARC had 52 female war casualties in all.

Regards,
Leendert

[RSwank]

I ran across this site for the co-pilot of the plane, John Boronko.
https://abmceducation.org/understand...r/john-boronko

And interesting paragraph is:

"On February 2, 1945, Boronko served as co-pilot on a flight from Florence to Rome when the plane encountered heavy fog and possibly snow. The pilots tried to gain altitude, but the plane crashed into a mountain three miles from Montieri, Italy, around 10:30 a.m. The plane caught fire, and the 23 personnel on board perished. The fatalities included three U.S. Army nurses, an American Red Cross worker, a British officer, and 18 American servicemen."

The three army nurses we have already identified. I think maybe Alice was an American Red Cross worker/volunteer, not a nurse.

[Frank Olynyk]

It should be noted that there are two MACRs for this accident: 15386 and 16420.

26 on board, 23 casualties.

Rest in peace.

Frank.

[Frank Olynyk]

It should be noted that there are two MACRs for this accident: 15386 and 16420.

26 on board, 23 casualties.

Rest in peace.

Frank.

[Leendert]

Yes, I just also noticed that two MACRs were made for 41-18603. Perhaps full text can offer more about the identity of Ms Prescini.



Rolland, indeed the three army nurses (N-numbers) and Alice Prescini, in a way associated with the ARC in Italy if not a full nurse.



Still find it odd that the surname has no 'hits' on the web, if spelled correctly on the casualty list.



Regards,


Leendert