Duke G Windham

WINDHAM, JR. DUKE G MIA 2/08/43 381

Windham, Duke Green, Jr., S/Sgt, turret-gunner (14121107)

381st BS:  Extracts from Missing Air Crew Report # 14584:                                

  A/C No. 41-13073 “VAR ARIEN” (MACR-14584 -shot down) P Cox, Robert A., 1Lt - DED CP Szczygiel, Joseph F., 2Lt - DED N None B McHarge, James Hayes, T/Sgt - DED E None R Brink, Robert W., S/Sgt - DED G Windham, Duke Green, Jr., S/Sgt - DED

World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas
Name:  Duke G Windham Jr
Inducted From: Tennessee
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Combat Organization: 381st Bomber Squadron 310th Bomber
Death Date: 8 Feb 1943
Monument: North Africa
Last Known Status: Missing
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal; Air Medal; Additional Army Awards
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World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938 - 1946
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 14121107  14121107  
NAME WINDHAM#DUKE#G#JR#######  WINDHAM#DUKE#G#JR#######  
RESIDENCE: STATE 48  TENNESSEE  
RESIDENCE: COUNTY 157  SHELBY  
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 4809  CP FORREST TENNESSEE  
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY 01  01  
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 05  05  
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 42  42  
GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT#  Private  
GRADE: CODE 8  Private  
BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION BI#  Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA  
BRANCH: CODE 00  Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA  
FIELD USE AS DESIRED #  #  
TERM OF ENLISTMENT 5  Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency,
plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law  
LONGEVITY ###  ###  
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0  Civil Life  
NATIVITY 45  MISSISSIPPI  
YEAR OF BIRTH 20  20  
RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1  White, citizen  
EDUCATION 3  3 years of high school  
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 157  Salesmen, insurance  
MARITAL STATUS 6  Single, without dependents  
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY 6  Army of the United States - includes the following: Voluntary enlistments effective December 8, 1941 and thereafter; One year enlistments of National Guardsman whose State enlistment expires while in the Federal Service; Officers appointed in the Army of the United States under Army Regulations 605-10  
CARD NUMBER #  #  
BOX NUMBER 0159  0159  
FILM REEL NUMBER 2.16#  2.16#  
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U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945
Name: Duke G Windham Jr
Gender: Male
Race: White
Religion: Protestant
Disposition: Nonrecoverable
Service Branch: Army
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Service Number: 14121107
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U.S. WWII Military Personnel Missing In Action or Lost At Sea, 1941-1946
Name: Duke Gjr Windham
Date of Loss: 8 Feb 1943 0
Branch: U.S. Army Air Force
Rank: S SG
Service Number: 14121107
Status: Missing in Action
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National WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C.
Registry~NARA~War Department Files
Honoree Hometown Service Source   
Duke G. Windham, Jr. Fayette County, KY U.S. Army  National Archives   
S SG Duke G. Windham, Jr.   ID: 14121407
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Fayette County, KY
Status: FOD
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National WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C.
Registry~NARA~War Department Files
Honoree Hometown Service Source   
Duke G. Windham, Jr. TN U.S. Army Air Forces ABMC Tablets of the Missing  
Duke G. Windham, Jr.    ID: 14121107
Entered the Service From: Tennessee
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 381st Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group, Medium
Died: Monday, February 08, 1943
Memorialized at: North Africa American Cemetery
Location: Carthage, Tunisia
Awards: Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart  
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findagrave.com:
SSgt Duke G Windham, Jr
Birth:  unknown
Death:  Feb. 8, 1943  
Note: Entered the service from Tennessee.
Burial: North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial ABMC
Tunis, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia
Plot: Not Given
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His Father:
Photo of Headsone & Cemetery Entrance
Duke Green Windham
Birth:  Jun. 8, 1884
Death:  Apr. 19, 1950  
Burial: Holders Cemetery
Bay Springs, Jasper County, Mississippi, USA
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1920 Census/Belzoni/Humphreys Co./Mississippi;/Roll 879/Page: 36A/Enumeration District: 64
Household Members: Name Age
Duke G Windham/Head of Household/35
Vernutt Windham/Wife/21
Duke G Windham, Jr./Son/1
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1930 Census/Memphis/Shelby Co./Tennessee/Roll  2279/Page: 26A/Enumeration District: 141
Household Members: Name Age
Duke Windham/Head of Household/42
Vermel Windham/Wife/28
Duke Windham/Son/10
Joe Hudie Windham/Son/2yrs-10mos
--
Social Security Death Index   Name: Duke G. Windham   SSN: 412-03-3437
Born: 5 Jan 1920   Died: 8 Feb 1943

McHARGE POEM, “MY PILOT”, SENT TO HIS MOTHER

ASHEVILLE MAN AND HIS SKIPPER MISSING IN NORTH AFRICA

            A poem written by T/Sgt. James H. McHarge, reported missing in action on the North African front, was sent to his mother, Mrs. J.H. McHarge of 21 Cumberland Ave, by Mrs. A.R. Cox of Fox, Virginia, whose son, Lieutenant Robert Cox, was reported missing at the same time as Sergeant McHarge.

            Sergeant McHarge wrote the poem “My Pilot”, as a tribute to Lieutenant Cox, pilot of the B-25 bomber on which Sergeant McHarge was bombardier.  Their plane failed to return from a mission last February 8.

            Sergeant McHarge volunteered for service in the Army on December 8, 1941 and trained at Sheppard Field, Texas; Santa Monica, California; Walterboro, South Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina before going overseas in November 1942.  He was a graduate of Lee Edwards High School in 1937 and at the time he entered the Service, was employed at Harry’s Motor Inn.

My Pilot

Yes, he’s the leader of the crew

It’s up to him to get us through

If all goes well, we each get back

We rush to Intelligence to joke and wisecrack.

Yet off by himself, looking very grim

Is my pilot who flew the ship they couldn’t trim

He says nothing to none of the rest

If we hadn’t got back, he’d still done his best.

The crew, like myself, has never realized

Or been responsible for six other lives

If Fate must have it, and one must get shot

God, let it be me, but save my Pilot.

Barbara Ennis Connolly, PRINCESSBARBI_B25@msn.com 57th Bomb Wing Historical Researcher, Historian for the 319th and 321st Bomb Groups /MTO WWII

lt

381st BS:  Extracts from Missing Air Crew Report # 14584:                                

McHARGE POEM, “MY PILOT”, SENT TO HIS MOTHER

ASHEVILLE MAN AND HIS SKIPPER MISSING IN NORTH AFRICA

            A poem written by T/Sgt. James H. McHarge, reported missing in action on the North African front, was sent to his mother, Mrs. J.H. McHarge of 21 Cumberland Ave, by Mrs. A.R. Cox of Fox, Virginia, whose son, Lieutenant Robert Cox, was reported missing at the same time as Sergeant McHarge.

            Sergeant McHarge wrote the poem “My Pilot”, as a tribute to Lieutenant Cox, pilot of the B-25 bomber on which Sergeant McHarge was bombardier.  Their plane failed to return from a mission last February 8.

            Sergeant McHarge volunteered for service in the Army on December 8, 1941 and trained at Sheppard Field, Texas; Santa Monica, California; Walterboro, South Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina before going overseas in November 1942.  He was a graduate of Lee Edwards High School in 1937 and at the time he entered the Service, was employed at Harry’s Motor Inn.

My Pilot

Yes, he’s the leader of the crew

It’s up to him to get us through

If all goes well, we each get back

We rush to Intelligence to joke and wisecrack.

Yet off by himself, looking very grim

Is my pilot who flew the ship they couldn’t trim

He says nothing to none of the rest

If we hadn’t got back, he’d still done his best.

The crew, like myself, has never realized

Or been responsible for six other lives

If Fate must have it, and one must get shot

God, let it be me, but save my Pilot.