From the book by Orazio Barbieri, “Guerra e Resistenza nei Servizi Sanitari a Firenze” (“War and Resistance in Health Services in Florence”), Vangelista Editori, Milan, 1993, p. 135, we extract a postcard which Clarice Benini, Vice Women’s World Chess Champion in 1937, sent from the Russian front where, from January 9, 1942 to January 31, 1943, like many well educated young women of good families, she “voluntarily” served as a Red Cross nurse in war hospitals:
SISTER CLARICE BENINI Hospital Reserve No. 1 Dear Sister Inspector, we often remember you with Sister Monterossi, Our companions are already beginning to love you a little. The train huffs and puffs, and the destination, they say, is approaching. Every now and then, we remain without heating and so... true Russia. After some hours, heating at full steam and... equator. Everything must be calculated in order to temper us definitively. We also hope to keep working together because we are very close-knit and the Group Chief is... but I cannot speak of this because this postcard will also bear Her signature. Hopefully a sergeant going to Italy will manage to get you this postcard soon. Affectionate greetings Clarice Many good greetings Monterossi |
