Cliff Austin

Cliff Austin was born in 1925 and grew up in his parents' home town of Vergennes, Vermont. He was the youngest of four boys, all of whom saw duty in the Second World War. He joined the service on March 13, 1943 and was a member of the 106th Infantry Division, Battery C, 589 Field Artillery Battalion.

He was captured on December 17, 1944 and imprisoned at the Arbeits Kommando # 1315 in Oberullesdorf occupied Poland, near Zittau, Germany. The German army withdrew from his camp on May 7, 1945 and he returned to American jurisdiction on May 12. He was 19 and held the rank of Private First Class when he was captured.

Cliff Austin returned to the United States in June of 1945 and was formally discharged on December 7. Returning to civilian life he began work at Simmonds Precision Products as an electronic assembler and remained at Simmonds for forty and a half years, retiring as Manager of Personnel and Community Relations. Cliff and his wife Patricia have two sons and two daughters and live in Vergennes. He is 79.

Cliff Austin, ca. 1944

Cliff Austin

Cliff Austin, 2004