Jane (Burrows) Windham

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Jane (Burrows) Windham Died in Military Service Dorset England WAC during World War II.

Pfc Jane (Burrows) Windham served in the United States Army in World War II
Service started: 16 Nov 1943
Unit(s): WAC
Service ended: 31 Mar 1945

Biography

Emma Jane "Windy" Burrows was born in 1922. Her father was August Christopher Burrows (1896-1950)

Jane was married to Artis Lee Windham (1917-1975)

Jane Windham enlisted in the Women's Army Corps in late 1943.

Before joining the Women’s Army Corps (WAC)^[1], Private First Class Emma Jane Burrows Windham majored in aeronautical engineering at the University of California, held a civilian pilot's license, and was credited with 349 flying hours. She was the Director of Flying for the New Mexico Wing of Women Flyers when asked to join the WAC.

Windham earned her wings while stationed at Gore Field, Montana. Qualifying for the dual rating of crew chief and flight engineer, Windham completed many flights from Montana to Fairbanks, Alaska, and cross-country from Montana to Florida. In England, she was assigned to the Air Inspector's Office of the Air Transportation Command’s European Division. ^[2]

Jane was the only WAC aerial engineer in the European Theatre. She was assigned to the Air Inspector's office. She was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries received in a "Doodle Bug" (V-1) attack by the German Air Force.

PFC Windham was the first WAC to give her life in the line of duty. She was killed on March 31st while serving as a flight engineer on a training mission over England. Her plane collided with another aircraft coming in for a landing, in a crash at a UK base (Bovington Camp, Purbeck District, Dorset, England) on March 31 1945. She was only 23 years of age at the time of her death.

PFC Jane B. Windham was buried with full military honors at Cambridge Cemetary, in England. She also has a grave at the San Fernando Cemetery San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA

Note: She was initially laid to rest in Cambridge, England, and not repatriated until 1948, when she reached her final resting place in Roselawn Cemetery, now designated San Fernando Cemetery # III. Sadly her grave remained unmarked until November of 2014. She received her well deserved military honors upon the dedication of her marker: An Honor Guard, a US Flag, three volleys of rifle fire, a Chaplain, and Taps.

Sources

1. ↑ WAC on Wikipedia
2. ↑ This research was done by the Army Women’s Museum URL: https://awm.lee.army.mil/

• U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 DRAFT, ENLISTMENT AND SERVICE. Record information. Name Emma J Windham Birth 1921 Military 16 Nov 1943 Dallas, Texas Residence Bexar, Texas. COMPONENT: Women's Army Corps. EDUCATION: 2 years of college CIVIL OCCUPATION: Semiskilled inspectors, n.e.c. MARITAL STATUS: Married,

• U.S., Find A Grave Index 1600s-Current. Name: PFC Emma Jane “Windy” Burrows Windham BIRTH 29 Jun 1921, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA. DEATH 31 Mar 1945 (aged 23) Bovington Camp, Purbeck District, Dorset, England. BURIAL San Fernando Cemetery #3 San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, USA MEMORIAL ID 138576435. View Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138576435/emma-jane-windham

• An article in the San Antonio Express-News of November 8, 2014: Gone-with-the-wind-but-not-forgotten. URL: https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/military/article/Gone-with-the-wind-but-not-forgotten-5880802.php