Pilot Officer August "Gus" W. Rabe hailed from Park Hill, Yonkers, Westchester County, New York.

Class of 1932 Yonkers High School.

Class of 1936 New York University.

Gus started taking flying lessons with Frank Steinman's Flying Service at Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York in 1937. On 22 July 1940 he passed the CAA private pilot's license test (C39821). On 30 May 1941 he enlisted in the RCAF at Montreal, Canada.

RCAF Service advanced flying training at Central Training School, Trenton, Ontario. In September 1941, he was assigned to #11 Elementary Flying Training School at Trois Rivieres, Quebec as a Pilot Instructor. After nearly six months of training new pilots, he was sent to #6 Service Flying Training School at Dunnville, Ontario and then to #1 Manning Depot in Toronto for Officer's Training School. He was then assigned to 132 Squadron. He joined 111 Squadron as Warrant Officer II on June 7, 1943 from 132 Squadron. On the following day, he was transferred to 14 Squadron. He served with 14 Squadron on Umnak Island and was slated to take part in raids out of Amchitka Island. Flew 12 Combat Missions in Aleutian Islands against the Kapson Kiska.

He subsequently deployed to the European Theatre of Operations with 14 Squadron, re-named 442 Squadron. He was one of the many American pilots who joined the RCAF and later transferred to USAAF.

He joined the P-51 Mustang-equipped 335th Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force on 15 August 1944.

Flew 38 combat missions over France and Germany. On escort/strafing mission his P-51D Mustang #44-14435 hit trees whilst strafing road transports, the aircraft was seen to have fuel pouring from damaged wing tanks; and crashed near Maberzell, Germany.

POW 21-Feb-45: he was captured and detained at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia Bavaria (then moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser) 49-11 .

August W. Rabe