Sunday, March 17, 2024

Friday, March 17, 1944. Forces of nature.

St. Patrick's Day fell on a Friday, which means that actual Irish Americans couldn't eat the traditional American Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage, unless a dispensation had been granted by their local bishop.  Dispensations were quite common in North America, however.

The March 1944 eruption of Vesuvius, by Jack Reinhardt, B-24 tail gunner.

Mount Vesuvius, not taking a time out for war, erupted, killing 26 Italian civilians and displacing a further 12,000.  88 American aircraft were destroyed.

Fighting continued at Monte Cassino.  Regarding that, Sarah Sundin, on her blog, Today in World War II History—March 17, 1944; notes that in the town of Cassino, which is often forgotten was parat of the battle, New Zealanders took its western part of town and train stations.

She also noted in her blog the death of Félix Éboué, Governor-General of French Equatorial Africa, died of a heart attack in Cairo, age 60.  He was a native African, the first to rise to such status in the French Empire.

Actor Ray Milland moves through the chow line in the mess hall of the 8th Special Service Co., Espiritu Santo, as the company cooks get a helping hand from Rosita Moreno, left, Latin-American dancer, and Mary Elliot, MGM starlet. March 17, 1944.

Ray Milland and two female entertainers of his USO-Camp Shows troupe visit the tent of two members of the 8th Special Service Co., on Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides.  March 17, 1944.

Bombing run at Bougainville.

The Red Army took Dubno.

The U-801 was sunk by American aircraft and warships in the Atlantic.

Famous photographer Pattie Boyd was born in Taunton, England.  She would marry George Harrison and Eric Clapton.

Musician John Sebastian was born in Greenwich Village, New York.

Last Prior Edition:

Thursday, March 16, 1944. Lucky Legs II

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