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

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#
--
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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