SSG Theodore Franklin Moubray

SSG Theodore Franklin Moubray was born 9 Dec 1906 near Linville in Rockingham County, Virginia. He was known as "Ted", so much so that his name is often so recorded on official documents after his birth certificate. He was the oldest of the 3 children born to John Franklin "Frank" and Minnie Elizabeth (Shifflett) Moubray. His father was a blacksmith who had to change with the times and was working as a machinist by 1920. His brother, David Kermit Moubray, died the day after he was born in October 1921. Frank was working for Wise Brothers when he contracted pneumonia and died, age 51, in March 1922. His mother then married a widower, Edward Paul Rexrode who worked as a plumber. The family lived at 219 East Market Street in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Ted was working for Good Printers and reported a 1939 income of $1173 while his step-father reported $2000 income for the same year.

Ted had already enlisted in the local National Guard unit, C Company 116th Infantry, and been promoted to PFC when the unit was federalized in February 1941. He would go on to train with the unit at Fort Meade, Maryland and Camp Blanding, Florida before shipping out for England aboard the Queen Mary in September 1942. Once in England he participated in the intensive training the unit was doing to prepare for the amphibious landing that would be part of the invasion of occupied Europe. By June 1944, Ted had been promoted to SSG demonstrating competence and leadership ability. SSG Moubray was killed in action on 6 Jun 1944 in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach.

About three hundred yards beyond Vierville-sur-mer the company was fired on by two machine guns. The first platoon and an attached mortar squad deployed to the left to outflank them. The third platoon came forward to give covering fire. They did not see a target, however, so did not fire a shot. This was according to the training which the men had previously been given. The first platoon felt that covering fire, regardless of the accuracy, would have been of real assistance.
When the first platoon was within thirty yards of the gun without seeing it, the machine gun opened up. 2LT Schwartz, SSG Ted F. Moubray, and PFC Leo King were killed and PFC James Page was wounded. The remainder of the platoon fired into the hedge. When the machine gun ceased firing the men moved forward to find the German gunner dead. Four other Germans tried to flank the platoon, but several grenades were thrown at them – killing two and causing the remaining two to surrender.

SSG Moubray is memorialized in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Brother. Kinglsey Otterbein Moubray, served as a PFC in the U.S. Army during WW2. Grandfather, Harden Shifflett, served in A Company 1st Virginia Infantry (CSA).