Horace W Austin Jr
Military1st Lt. Horace W. Austin, Jr. from Virginia Beach, VA, flew as command pilot in the B-24D 42-40778, 'Southern Comfort' on the Aug 1, 1943 raid on Ploesti, while temporarily assigned to the 9th Air Force. He received a Distinguished Flying Cross for this mission under G.O. #90, Hqrs. Ninth Air Force, Sept. 16, 1943,
Austin’s crew was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the 1 Aug 1943 low-level raid under G.O. #90, Hqrs. Ninth Air Force, Sept. 16, 1943, yet for some unknown reason, amendments revoked their DFCs, then awarded the DFCs for the raid under GO #150, Hq. 9th Air Force, December 30, 1943. There was some confusion as to whether the DFCs were a basic award or an Oak Leaf Cluster on G.O. #90, so this drove the amendments and some of their award cards are different.
After Ploesti, two weeks later, on 16 Aug, 1943, he was shot down in 'Southern Comfort', on a mission to Foggia, Italy, where the 506th Squadron suffered terrible losses of both men and aircraft. Two of Lt. Austin's crew, Lt. Singer and Lt. Finder were KIA. The rest of the crew were captured by the Italians. After being hit by flak, the plane caught fire, and pilot Austin had to give the bail out order. Austin and eight crew members became Prisoners of War, and 2 were Killed in Action (KIA). Lt. Austin escaped from his captivity from the Germans after his bail out. The rest of the crew was captured by the Italians. When Austin and other officers were handed over to the Germans for transport to Stalag Lufts in Germany, he and two others jumped off the POW train. He used his Air Force map, as he spent a couple of weeks walking across Italy after he escaped from the German POW train. The other two were recaptured and shot. Austin spent several weeks walking across Italy until he ultimately crossed over the British 8th Army lines in Italy and was flown back to London, and then back to the USA.
He was training Nationalist Chinese pilots in California when the U.S. dropped the bomb on Hiroshima. Horace Austin died in 1966. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (14th Combat Bomb Wing)
- Service Numbers: O-16429
- Highest Rank: Brigadier General
- Role/Job: Pilot - Commanding Officer 44th
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17032710
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16003700
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
Missions
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Virginia Beach, Virginia | 13 August 1921 | Norfolk, Norfolk City, Virginia |
Enlisted |
22 January 1942 | Langley Field, Virginia | |
Died |
27 March 1966 | Dallas, Dallas County, Texas | |
Buried |
Arlington National Cemetery |
Revisions
NARA files verified DFC, Purple Heart and AM with two Oak Leaf Clusters. He earned the ACM based on entry date the EAME Campaign Medal with at least one bronze service star for overseas service.
Find a Grave data
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49003167/horace-william-austin
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- John S. Young, Jr. - personal archives
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- John S. Young, Jr. - personal archives
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- John S. Young, Jr. - personal archives
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- John S. Young, Jr. - personal archives
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- John S. Young, Jr. - personal archives
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- John S. Young, Jr. - personal archives
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ploesti by Dugan & Stewart, 44th Bomb Group Roll of Honor and Casualties by Will Lundy pp. 114-6, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol I by Bishop & Hey p. 235