Charles H. Barth Jr.
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Charles Henry Barth Jr. (1 October 1903 – 3 May 1943) was an American Brigadier general who served during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.


Early life

Charles Henry Barth Jr. was born on 1 October 1903 in
Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. Part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Leavenworth is located on the west bank of the Missouri River, on the site o ...
, the son of
Charles H. Barth Charles Henry Barth (December 28, 1858 – December 5, 1926) was an American Brigadier general who served during World War I. Early life Barth was born in Sheridan, Iowa. He entered the United States Military Academy, where he was seriously h ...
, a
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
officer who later rose to the rank of brigadier general during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, and Harriet Barth. In 1917, at the age of 13/14, the younger Charles enrolled in
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
. In 1921, like his father, Charles was appointed to the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
. After four years of study he graduated as Honor Man of the Class in 1925.


Career

Upon graduation in 1925, Barth was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the
United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...
. He reported to Fort Humphreys, Virginia, for his first duty assignment, where he would also meet and marry his wife, Doris Speer. The following year, in 1926, he enrolled at Cornell University where he earned a degree in Engineering and graduated in June 1927. He then continued studies at the Engineer's Company Officers' School at Fort Humphreys. In July 1928, he became an instructor in the Department of Civil and Military Engineering at West Point and, on 19 July 1928, was promoted to
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
. In his time as an instructor he taught both Chemistry and Electricity. In 1934 Barth was assigned to the 3rd Engineers in Hawaii, serving as Adjutant. The following year, in 1935, he was promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
. He then was assigned to the Clock Tower in
Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 37,108 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the confluence of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock a ...
, where he served as the Military Assistant to the District Engineer. In 1939, he moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, where would attend the
Command and General Staff School The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
. Upon graduation in 1940, he would be assigned to assist with construction projects on the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
. At this assignment he served as Assistant Supervising Engineer, and Supervising Engineer of the Special Engineering Division. In 1942, Barth was hand picked by Lieutenant General
Frank Maxwell Andrews Frank Maxwell Andrews (February 3, 1884 – May 3, 1943) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the United States Army and one of the founders of the United States Army Air Forces, which was later to become the United States Air Fo ...
to serve as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, of the U.S. Army Forces in the Middle East. He remained in this role until 1943, where he would follow Andrews to London to the
European Theater of Operations, United States Army The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground Forc ...
, where he served as the chief of staff.


Death and legacy

In 1943, Andrews was summoned to Washington, D.C., by General
George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. ...
, the
Chief of Staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and a ...
. Barth went with him, the two hitching a ride with
Hot Stuff (aircraft) ''Hot Stuff'' is the name of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator, ''41-23728'', of the 8th Air Force that was used in World War II. It was the first heavy bomber in the 8th Air Force to complete twenty-five missions in Europe in World War II. It flew ...
, a heavy bomber that was returning to the United States to complete a morale tour to help sell war bonds. On 3 May 1943 the flight crew had attempted to stop and land in Reykjavik, Iceland to refuel, however due to poor weather conditions they could not locate the runway. After several failed landing attempts, the plane crashed into the 1,600-foot-tall Mount Fagradalsfjall, near Grindavik."Toll in Iceland Accident Now 14; Storm Warning Went Unheeded," ''Washington Post'', May 6, 1943. Barth Hall, headquarters of the Battle Command Training Center at Fort Leavenworth was named for both Barth and his father. As well, a star bearing Barth's name is located on the Princeton University War Memorial.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barth Jr., Charles H. 1903 births 1943 deaths Military personnel from Kansas United States Army personnel killed in World War II United States Army generals of World War II United States Army Corps of Engineers personnel Burials at West Point Cemetery Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) United States Military Academy faculty United States Military Academy alumni United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Princeton University alumni Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Iceland Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1943