Pilot Officer GPW Austin
Guy Paul Wentworth Austin
- Rank
- Pilot Officer
- Squadron
- No 9 Squadron
- School
- Michaelhouse
- Fate
- Killed in action
- In the book
- Pages 33
Stories that mention him
- How six young South Africans joined the RAFLinks of Long Standing
From the book
Links of Long Standing
The SAAF Development Programme’s prewar demise influenced many young South Africans including WI Deas, PG Dexter, GJ Drake, J Falkson, AC Hamman, PH Hugo, O Hume, J Ing, AG Lewis, N Lewis, LA Lynn, Spencer Peacock -Edwards, SR Whiting and GM Wright while 26-year-old Michaelhouse educated Guy Paul Wentworth Austin arrived in England on the day war was declared, commissioned as an “acting Pilot on probation” in January 1940 and lost his life 10 months later in a No 9 Squadron Wellington shot down over Germany.
Links of Long Standing
John Clive Dawson-Squibb a year behind Austin at Michaelhouse, interrupted his Oxford studies, commissioned in September 1940 and lost his life in November 1942 when his No 155 Squadron Mohawk was shot down by Japanese fighters.
Links of Long Standing
Lionel Leon, educated at King Edwards volunteered from America when war was declared and had just turned twenty when he commissioned in November. Harte was a Royal Air Force Reserve Flying Officer while Austin, Dawson-Squibb, Deas, Leon and Whiting would have received standard notifications after their Recruiting Office “Air Crew Selection Board” interviews, “You will be taken on strength from the date you report for duty and will also be issued with uniforms etc. as soon as possible thereafter. You should therefore bring with you the minimum of personal requirements” which translated as arriving at their designated “Receiving Wing”, a 90 second regulation haircut, health check, identity documentation issue and a few weeks of “square bashing”.