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Contact Info
Home Town Muskogee
Last Address Muskogee
MIA Date Jan 27, 1944
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Solomon Islands
Location of Memorial Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
Service number 020369
Lt. Clyde Askew was a pilot of a Marine F-4U and was credited with the shoot down of 1 Japanese "Zeke" on 18 January 1944 (near Duke of York Island). His unit was flying out of Piva Yoke Fighter Airstrip, Bouganville, Island, Solomon Islands. On 27 January 1944, he was lost while escorting USAAF B-25s on a mission to bomb the Japanese on Rabaul. He served as wingman for another Marine, Lt. Taylor, who was forced to make a water landing near Cape Torokina due to mechanical problems. Lt. Taylor was later picked up. Lt. Taylor observed Lt. Askew, whose aircraft also developed mechanical problems, make a water landing. Lt. Askew did not get out of the aircraft before it sank. A later search by search boat came up empty handed. A Memorial grave marker was setup at Ft Gibson National Cemetery, Section MA Site 11. He remains MIA for nearly 40 years, Lt Askew was given honors 11 Nov 1983.
Northern Solomon Islands Campaign (1943-44)/Battle of Bougainville
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
January / 1944
Description After New Georgia, the next major operation was an invasion of the island of Bougainville, which was approached by landings at Mono and Stirling in the Treasury Islands on October 25-27, 1943. A Marine division landed on the west coast of Bougainville at Empress Augusta Bay on November 1, 1943. The Marines were followed within the month by an Army division and replaced in the next month by another Army division.
It was late November before the beachhead at Empress Augusta Bay was secure. This beachhead was all that was needed, and no attempt was made to capture the entire island. Allied planes neutralized enemy airfields in the northern part of the island, and the Allied command made use of its naval and air superiority to contain the Japanese garrison on Bougainville and cut its supply line to Rabaul by occupying the Green Islands (February 14, 1944).
Despite these measures, the Japanese maintained pressure against the beachhead, mounting an especially heavy but unsuccessful counterattack as late as March 1944. Success at Bougainville isolated all Japanese forces left in the Solomons. The Japanese sustained comparatively heavy air and naval losses during the campaign, which further crippled the Japanese Combined Fleet and had a vital effect on the balance of naval power in the Central Pacific.
