Rank and Name, Aviation Machinist’s Mate Second Class William Merrill Austin.
Unit/Placed in, Bombing Squadron 135 (VB-135), United States Naval Reserve.
William is born approx. on in.
Mother, Anne (Moats) Austin.
William enlisted the service in Michigan with service number # 6239839.
William‘s Crew-members and their position on-board the plane a PV-1 were,
Ltjg. Alpheus A. Wheat
Ens. William W. Schatzer
Ens. Roger Iani
Amm2. William M. Austin
Arm1. Theodore Green
Aom2. Marion J. Catt
William was KIA when they were Shot during the Mission over Kuriles, (then Japan) on 6 May 1944, he is honored with a Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
William is buried/mentioned at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu County, Hawaii U.S.A.
Courts of the missing.
Thanks to,
Jean Louis Vijgen, WW2-Pacific Website.
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
5/5/44 48733/1 (Lt (jg) Alpheus A. Wheat, VB-135) MIS A. Radio Tokyo confirmed one plane shot down over Northern Kuriles.
