Donald Clark Godfrey
b. circa 1921, d. 8 October 1943
- Donald Clark Godfrey was born circa 1921.
- The following appeared on 8 January 1943 in The Herald Statesman: Miss Barbara Ellen Pegues, of 274 Park Hill Avenue [Yonkers], organist and choir director of Lincoln Park Community Church and winner in 1941 of the Chaminade Scholarship to the Juilliard Institute of Musical Art, is the fiancee of Aviation Cadet Donald Clark Godfrey, Army Air Forces, of 159 Glenwood Avenue.
The betrothal was made known by the future bride's parents, Professor Albert S. Pegues of New York University and Mrs. Pegues. Cadet Godfrey is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Clark Godfrey.
Miss Pegues, who studied at Juilliard for a year, is a graduate of Yonkers High School, is now preparing for organ work on the radio.
The prospective bridegroom attended Barnard School and Peddie School and was employed by the American Cyanamid Company in New York before enlisting in the National Guard in 1941. He transferred to the Air Forces, received preliminary training at Kelly Field and is now stationed at Santa Ana, Calif.
Mr. Godfrey and Miss Pegues have just returned from Los Angeles where they spent two weeks and visited Cadet Godfrey. - He married Barbara Ellen Pegues, daughter of Albert Shipp Pegues and Flora Meta Piehler, on 12 June 1943 in Hillsborough County, Florida, at McDill Air Force Base, near Tampa.
- The following appeared on 16 June 1943 in The Herald Statesman: Honeymooning at Clearwater Beach, Fla. are Lieutenant and Mrs. Donald Clark Godfrey who were married Saturday at the post chapel in Tampa, Fla., the bridegroom's station with the Army Air Forces. The post chaplain officiated.
The bride, the former Miss Barbara Ellen Pegues, is the daughter of Professor Albert S. Pegues of New York University and Mrs. Pegues of 274 Park Hill Avenue [Yonkers]. She is on leave of absence as organist and choir director of Lincoln Park Cummunity Church. Leiutenant Godfrey is the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Clark Godfrey of 169 Glenwood Avenue.
The bride's white organdy gown was made with a train and she wore a long veil held in place with flowers and carried white carnations. Mrs. Ernest Gesswein, the bridegroom's sister, was matron of honor in a yellow marquisetta gown. She wore red roses in her hair and carried red roses.
Lieutenant John Davis of Peoria, Ill., was best man.
A luncheon was held at the Hotel Tampa Terrace. The couple will live near Lieutenant Godfrey's post.
The bride, winner in 1941 of the Chaminade Scholarship to the Juilliard Institute of Musical Art, is a graduate of Yonkers High School and studied at Juilliard for a year.
Lieutenant Godfrey attended Barnard School for Boys and Peddie School and formerly was employed by the American Cyanamid Company in New York City. - Donald Clark Godfrey died on 8 October 1943 in Florida.
- His wife Barbara Ellen Pegues became a widow at his death.
- The following appeared on 11 October 1943 in The Herald Statesman: Second Lieutenant Donald C. Godfrey, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Clark Godfrey of 169 Oakwood Avenue [Yonkers] and husband of the former Miss Barbara Ellen Pegues, of this city, was killed Friday when the B-26 medium bomber on which he was navigator-bombardier crashed into Tampa (Fla.) Bay after leaving Godman Field, near Louisville, Ky., on a training flight.
Lieutenant Godfrey, twenty-two, and four others of the seven-man crew were killed and two were rescued. According to information reacing the young aviator's family, one of the two men rescued--the radio operator--was injured seriously and is not expected to live.
Mrs. Godfrey, who was married to Lieutenant Godfrey June 12 at the chapel at McDill Field, near Tampa, notified her family here from Louisville, where she has been living, that the bodies of her husband and the other four crew members have not yet been recovered.
The plane was en route to McDill field when it crashed. Army Air Forces authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
Lieutenant Godfrey enlisted in Squadron A, 101st Cavalry, Nation Guard, in September, 1940, and left with the unit when it was federalized and called into active duty the following January at Fort Devens, Mass. It then became a part of the 101st (Mechanized) Cavalry.
The young officer was sent to Fort Riley, Kan., for a maintenance course and then returned to Fort Devens. In April 1942, he was transferred to the Air Corps and assigned to Kelly Field, Texas. He later went to Randolph Field, Texas, and then to Santa Ana, Calif., for further training as a bombardier. Lieutenant Godfrey received his wings and commission in April of this year after completing the bombardier course at the Deming (N. M.) Army Air Field.
His next assignment took him to Carlsbad, N. M., for additional instruction in navigation. Lieutenant Godfrey later went to McDill Field, where his marriage to the former Miss Pegues, daughter of Professor Albert S. Pegues of Nw York University, and Mrs. Pegues, of 274 Park Hill Avenue, took place. Mrs. Godfrey has been with her husband since their marriage.
Lieutenant Godfrey attended the Barnard School for Boys and the Peddie School. He formerly was employed by the American Cyanamid Corporation in New York City.
- Last Edited: 4 Nov 2014