8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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James Pascal Austin
Military
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Completed (End) Tour of Duty (ETD).
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Service
Units served with
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355th Fighter Group
Group
Where the 353rd Fighter Group had pioneered ground strafing techniques, it was the 355th Fighter Group who destroyed more enemy aircraft by ground strafing than any other Eighth Air Force Group. Based at Steeple Morden from July 1943 to July 1945, the... -
496th Fighter Training Group
Group
Activated as 496th Fighter Training Group on 11 December 1943 at Greencastle by VIII Composite Command. ... -
354th Fighter Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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43-6938
P-51 Mustang
Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Lt James P Austin. Failed to Return (FTR) Ramrod mission. Bounced out of the sun by 15+ Fw190's, A/c shot down in ensuing melee. 19-Jul-44 - Lt Warren A Schwab POW. MACR 6838.
Associated Place
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Goxhill
Military site : airfield
Goxhill opened in June 1941 as an RAF Bomber Command airfield, before being handed over to RAF Fighter Command in December. The Eighth Air Force took ownership in August 1942, and used the airfield, which they quickly dubbed 'Goat Hill' for operational... -
Steeple Morden
Military site : airfield
Originally used from 1940 as a small, grass airfield, satellite for nearby RAF Bassingbourn, Steeple Morden was allocated to the Eighth Air Force in August 1942 as a potential bomber base. It was used briefly by the 3rd Photographic Group during the...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Archibald, LA 71259, USA | 29 August 1919 |
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Son of Oscar and Maggie Austin. |
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| Lived in | Mangham, LA 71259, USA | 1941 |
| Enlisted | Jackson, MS, USA | 14 March 1942 |
| Assigned | Steeple Morden, Royston SG8, UK | 21 January 1943 – 31 July 1944 |
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Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Mid Air Collision | Millville Airport, 104 Leddon St, Millville, NJ 08332, USA | 18 May 1943 |
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Mid Air Collision Millville AAB, NJ Cat 4 damage, pilot Lt James P Austin, 18-May-43. RP-47C 41-6648 - 354FS 355FG. |
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| Promoted | Steeple Morden, Royston SG8, UK | 1944 |
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Promoted to Captain. |
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| Transferred | Goxhill, Barrow-upon-Humber DN19, UK | 1 August 1944 |
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Transferred to 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| End Tour of Duty (ETD) | England, UK | September 1944 |
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Ended Tour of Duty (ETD). |
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| Buried | Mangham, LA 71259, USA | December 2008 |
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Gwin Memorial Cemetery |
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| Died | Monroe, LA, USA | 18 December 2008 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 01 August 2016 11:05:25 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, service number, highest rank, role, biography, awards, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Austin&Submit=Search |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:14:48 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list |
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