Assorted materials relating to the service of William H. Starke, a Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin resident who served as a pilot with the 44th Fighter Squadron, 13th Air Force in the South Pacific during World War II. The collection includes manuscripts, maps, photographs, black and white copy negatives, three reels of 8mm film, and two VHS video recordings. Manuscripts consist of pilot and flight training materials, photocopies of flight school graduation yearbooks, souvenir booklets, and special orders. Also included is a photocopy of a diary (Aug 1942 to March 1943) kept by Elmer M. Wheadon, a Los Angeles, California native who served in the 44th Fighter Squadron with Starke. Excerpts from Wheadon's diary were used in Starke's 1985 book "Vampire Squadron: A History of the 44th Fighter Squadron in World War II, 1941-1945." The two maps pertain to the various areas in the South Pacific where he flew on combat missions and contain notations made by Starke. Photographs include black and white and color images taken by Starke during his service in the South Pacific, as well as pictures taken of squadron reunions after the war. Most photographs are labeled and dated and are arranged by location of where the photo was taken. Black and white photographs are of individuals and groups of squadron members as well as squadron planes. Also included are scenes of base life in the South Pacific and pictures of the shacks, huts, and tents where the pilots stayed. Of particular interest are images from Guadalcanal of USO entertainers Carole Landis and Martha Tilton. The color photos are mostly of squadron reunions in the 1980s. The black and white copy negatives contain images of individual squadron members in uniform, sometimes posing next to their planes. The three reels of 8mm film were taken by Starke during his service in the South Pacific and cover the years 1943 to 1945. The scenes mostly portray life on base and illustrate the huts, shacks, and tents where the pilots stayed as they moved around the South Pacific. Scenes of setting up camp in the jungle and color images of traveling across the ocean on battleships are particularly interesting. Also included are images of beaches and cities when the pilots were on leave in Hawaii and New Zealand. Parts of the film also show the pilots visiting some native villages and towns in the South Pacific. The two VHS tapes are duplicates of the 8mm film but have been edited and narrated by Starke to provide identification of locations and people in the films. Of particular interest is a scene where Starke narrates over footage of him filming while flying his plane on a mission to the Philippines. Starke was born in Chicago and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1941. He eventually passed the test for Flight School and became a P-38 fighter pilot in July 1943. He served 121 combat missions before he returned to the United States in 1945. After the war, Starke earned his degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Journalism and eventually became a Ford dealer in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. He also became involved in the American Legion, VFW, and 44th Squadron reunions.
