Clyde Lewis Askew, Jr.

First Lieutenant Clyde L. Askew, Jr., was a Marine pilot with VMF-321.
He was killed in a water landing off Cape Torokina, Bougainville, on 27 January 1944.

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-20369

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

April 11, 1918
at Muskogee, OK

Parents

Clyde Lewis Askew, Sr.
Fern Kathryn (Hall) Askew

Education

Muskogee Central High School (1934)
Muskogee Junior College (1936)
University of Oklahoma (1938)

Occupation & Employer

Brooks-Scanlon Lumber
(in Bend, Oregon)

Service Life

Entered Service

February 27, 1942 (enlisted)
March 20, 1943 (officer)

Home Of Record

524 North 6th Street
Muskogee, OK

Next Of Kin

Wife, Mrs. Helen E. Askew

Military Specialty

Pilot

Primary Unit

VMF-321

Campaigns Served

Northern Solomons

Individual Decorations

Air Medal
Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Lieutenant Askew was officially credited with 1 aerial victory.

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

At 0710 on 27 January 1944, eleven Corsairs from VMF-321 took off from Piva for a mission escorting a B-25 strike to Rabaul. While flying along Cape Torokina, Bougainville, the plane flown by 1Lt. Charles L. Taylor dropped out of formation and made a water landing. Taylor’s wingman, 1Lt. Clyde Askew (F4U-1 #02470), circled the downed pilot and radioing for assistance.

The crash boat arrived to find Taylor in his life raft, but no sign of Askew. “Lieutenant Taylor observed Lieutenant Askew to make a water landing about 1/2 mile from him when his (Askew’s) engine cut out,” notes the squadron’s action report. “The landing seemed easy but Taylor did not observe Askew to get out before the plane went under… The plane went down in 10 seconds.”

Clyde Askew was listed as killed in action on the day of the mission.