On May 30th, 1945, flight C-47B #44-76406 prepared for take-off. First Lieutenant Alfred R. Ellis of Iowa was the pilot. His co-pilot was Flight Officer Robert E. Mulhern from Massachusetts. Corporal George A. Shiffman, from Ohio, was along as the radio officer.[i]

The three were about to embark on a normally routine 776- mile[ii] flight from Accra, British West Africa to Robert’s Field[iii], Liberia. On board were 18 women of the Women’s Army Corp who were being transferred to a new assignment. According to HonorStates.org, the women who were in the 1202nd were older, with an average age of 28, than the usual recruit and were chosen for their “maturity and work experience.”

There were scattered showers that morning but no other weather of note.[iv] The plane took off without incident and was last reported over Takoradi, British West Africa, about 150 miles west of Accra, shortly after departure.[v]

Little is known about what transpired aboard the plane that day but several calls of “Mayday,” an emergency procedure used as a voice distress signal, were heard. The distress signal was loud and clear, lasting five minutes.[vi] A search was conducted by aircraft and surface craft over a wide area of the French Ivory Coast.[vii] The search consisted of seven PET’s and British, French, and Native forces, who were informed to search waters and coastline. No sign of the plane was found.

The plane is believed to have crashed into the sea near Takoradi, Ghana.[viii] The Chicago Tribune reported the “[ix]18 WACs were the first ever reported lost overseas.”

News of the missing plane made newspapers across America on June 6th, 1945.

The stories of the 21 lost that day are below:

Flight Crew

Pilot First Lieutenant Alfred R. Ellis

Alfred Ellis’ story is one of determination. A poor immigrant’s child, he went to college, starting his own company, and became pilot in the Air Force. His story ended in a when he went missing in action.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529885239/alfred-r-ellis/stories

Flight Office Co-Pilot Robert E. Mulhern

Robert Earle Mulhern, called Bob, put aside his college education, his hockey career, and his dreams in order to serve his country. He gave his life during WWII.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529884714/robert-e-mulhern/facts

Radio Operator Corporal George A. Siffman

George was just a year out of high school when he felt the call to enlist and fight for his country. He left his home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and disappeared a continent away.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529887300/george-a-shiffman/stories

18 Passengers

PFC Rose Brohinsky

A fashion model, New York City’s Rose Brohinsky was a beautiful and gutsy WAC. Her plane disappeared off the coast of Africa.

https://www.fold3.com/page/83015476/rose-brohinsky/stories

Sergeant Doris F. Cooper

May Day calls were clear, then disappeared as did the plane of Doris Coper, who had run her family’s Illinois restaurant. A sergeant, she was leading 17 WACs the day they all vanished.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529884320/doris-f-cooper/stories

PFC Flossie D. Flannery

An all-American girl, Flossie Flannery when from 4-H club fun, Sunday school parties and class plays to war. Her plane vanished over the sea far away from home in Indiana.

https://www.fold3.com/page/83071761/flossie-d-flannery/stories

PFC Frieda C. Friend

July 1942: Meet one of the first women in the army, Frieda Friend. She served in the original WAACs and then the WACs, Women’s Army Service Corps. 1945: Missing in Action.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529883534/frieda-c-friend/stories

PFC Mary Gollinger

Fighting for her adopted country, her plane went missing over the sea. Among the lost forever was naturalized American citizen Mary Gollinger.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529886272/mary-m-gollinger

Corporal Velma Holden

She left the mountains of Ashville, North Carolina for the shores of Africa only to never return home. Corporal Velma Holden and her WACs vanished.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529884602/velma-e-holden/stories

PFC Odessa Hollingsworth

Like father, like daughter. WWI and WWII. PFC Odessa Hollingsworth’s father gave his legs for his country and she gave her life.

https://www.fold3.com/page/83109935/odessa-l-hollingsworth/photos

PFC Alice Dana King

Dana King once won a speech contest on “Real American Character” then she demonstrated it by joining the WACs and losing her life.

https://www.fold3.com/page/83124817/alice-d-king/stories

PFC Wilma Eva Liles

Texas schoolteacher Wilma Liles left her students and classroom behind to join the war effort. PFC Wilma Liles, missing in action, never returned to her students.

https://www.fold3.com/page/653611348/wilma-eva-liles/stories

PFC Evelyn L. McBride

The life she gave for our country is the stuff novels are written about, a vaudeville and silent movie actress, married to a 1920s pro ball player, then single mother and at the end, a WAC.

https://www.fold3.com/page/83116662/evelyn-l-mcbride/stories

PFC Alice Pauline McKinney

A family of sacrifice - Brother Ed had malaria in New Guinea. Brother Bill died in Germany. WAC Pauline McKinney, their sister, vanished flying over the ocean near Africa.

https://www.fold3.com/page/83085591/alice-p-mckinney/stories

PFC Rose Puchalla

Rose worked a Rosy the Riveter-type job long before we’d heard of Rosy. A welder and flame cutter, she took her muscles and experience and became a WAC, who gave her life in WWII.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529882626/rose-f-puchalla/stories

PFC Mildred E. Rice

She’d packed her bags, said her good-byes and boarded the first leg of a long journey back to Missouri from Africa. A WWII WAC, Mildred Rice was never seen again.

https://www.fold3.com/page/83100341/mildred-e-rice

PVT Tony Pearl Roomsburg

Newly graduated teacher, Tony Roomsburg, starts New Year 1944 off enlisting in the WACs. Eighteen months later, she’s part of one of the largest group of women missing in action in WWII.

https://www.fold3.com/page/653612035/pvt-tony-pearl-roomsburg/stories

PFC Leona M. Seyfert

She moved from operating a press in a Chicago laundry to working with troops in Africa by joining the WACs. Leona Seyfert’s service in WWII ended when her plane evaporated over the sea.

https://www.fold3.com/page/529885754/leona-m-seyfert/stories

PFC Ruth E. Warlick

Not afraid of hard work, Ruth Warlick left her life in Texas behind when she joined the WACs. Little did she know, she’d never see Texas again.

https://www.fold3.com/page/83112192/ruth-e-warlick

PFC Bonnie Loree Mulkey Williams

Growing up a Kansas farm girl, Bonnie Loree Mulkey Williams probably never imagined seeing Africa much less dreamed she’d be of the young sacrifices of World War II.

https://www.fold3.com/page/638680718/bonnie-l-williams

[i] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56246797/alfred-reece-ellis

[ii]https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=22956270&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM3MDE5ODM5MSwiaWF0IjoxNjAwNjUzOTMxLCJleHAiOjE2MDA3NDAzMzF9.GGROPxU0pGgcIxOv2cUjLCtQalRy9746RfogyVqiR44

[iii]https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56250251/leona-marie_elizabeth-seyfert

[iv]https://www.abmceducation.org/understandingsacrifice/soldier/rose-puchalla

[v]https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=22956270&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM3MDE5ODM5MSwiaWF0IjoxNjAwNjUzOTMxLCJleHAiOjE2MDA3NDAzMzF9.GGROPxU0pGgcIxOv2cUjLCtQalRy9746RfogyVqiR44

[vi]https://www.abmceducation.org/understandingsacrifice/soldier/rose-puchalla

[vii] New York Times, June 7, 1945 “18 WACS Missing on African Flight”

[viii]https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56250251/leona-marie_elizabeth-seyfert

[ix]https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=22956270&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM3MDE5ODM5MSwiaWF0IjoxNjAwNjUzOTMxLCJleHAiOjE2MDA3NDAzMzF9.GGROPxU0pGgcIxOv2cUjLCtQalRy9746RfogyVqiR44

Flight C-47B #44-76406: Stories of 21 Missing in Action