Pvt. Richard O. Austin, WWII

Private Richard O. Austin, U. S. Army, WWII 

 

Pvt. Richard O. Austin

     Private Richard Olney Austin was born on December 8, 1919.  He grew up in a large house on Mountaindale Road in the Spragueville section of Smithfield.  The house is still standing today.  

     During World War II he entered the army and was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division as an infantryman with the Amphibious Motor Corps.  He arrived in England on January 26, 1944, where he began training for the D-Day invasion.  It was decided by the army high command that the 4th Infantry Division would spearhead the invasion of Normandy, specifically Utah Beach, which they successfully did on the morning of June 6, 1944.  Once off the beach, 4th Infantry troops moved towards the town of Cherbourg with the intent of driving out the Germans who were occupying the area.  Cherbourg was considered important because it has a deep water port which the allies intended to use for supply ships that would carry additional men and supplies to the war front.  It was during this battle that Pvt. Austin was killed in action on June 9, 1944, just three days after he arrived in France.       

Richard O. Austin’s Grave
Acote’s Cemetery, Chepachet, R. I.

     Pvt. Austin is buried at Acotes Cemetery in Chepachet, R. I., Section K, Lot 599, map 00034.   His army service number was 31172184.  

     Richard Street off Mountaindale Road is named for him.   Pvt. Austin’s name can also be found on the Spragueville WWII Memoiral at the foot of Swan Road and Pleasant View Avenue. 

     Images courtesy of Pvt. Austin’s nephew, Joseph Johnston.

Richard O. Austin – 1942

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Click on image to enlarge.
Newspaper and date unknown.

 

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