Walter Manning

2nd Lieutenant Walter Manning (May 3, 1920 - April 3, 1945) was a member of the famed group of World War II-era African-Americans known as the Tuskegee Airmen. He flew 50 missions, and was awarded the Air Medal for heroism 6 times. In 1945 he was shot down and captured in Austria: he was subsequently lynched by a mob. He was Posthumously awarded the congressional Gold Medal in 2007. Manning is the only known black man to have been lynched in Austria during World War II.

World War II

In 1942 Manning was rejected for military service because of a hammer toe. Manning used his savings to pay for surgery to repair his toe so that he could enlist. In 1943 he enlisted in the Army Air Force. in 1944, after graduation he was assigned to the 301st Fighter Squadron, 332nd fighter Group with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He served as a pilot and his base was Ramitelli Air Base, Italy.

Dogfight

Manning was involved in a dogfight with Nazi planes on Easter morning April 1, 1945 over the Danube River. Tuskegee airmen escorted B-24 bombers on a bombing mission to St. Polten, Austria. On the return trip to their base at Ramitelli Air Field in Italy, the group spotted enemy planes near Wels, Austria. There were 7 Tuskegee Airmen flying the mission that day and they engaged the German planes. The Tuskegee Airmen shot down 12 German planes in the dogfight. However three of the Tuskegee Airmen's planes were shot down: one pilot was able to make crash-land in friendly territory, one was killed outright when he was shot down and the third pilot was Manning: his plane was damaged so badly that he had to bail out. He ejected, and parachuted into a waiting mob.

Lynching

On April 3, 1945, Manning was captured and jailed in Austria: He was held in a jail at a Nazi Luftwaffe Air Force base near Linz. A gang of citizens helped by Luftwaffe officers broke into the jailhouse and tied Manning's hands behind his back. They dragged Manning outside and beat him badly. They hung a wooden tablet around his neck that read "We help ourselves! The Werewolf," and they hanged him from a lamp post.

After the end of war the body of Walter Manning was recovered by US troops. Although they found clear signs of murder US officials closed his case early. Nobody was ever sentenced for the war crime.

Research and commemoration

In 2013 the Austria historians Nicole-Melanie Goll and Georg Hoffmann carried out a research project together with Jerry Whiting to clarify the fate of Walter Manning. As a result of their findings the Austrian Army raised a commemoration plaque at the place where Walter Manning was murdered.

Awards

• Air Medal for heroism with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters,
• European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (EAME)
• Purple Heart Medal.
• Congressional Gold Medal (2007) (posthumously)

• Attended Howard University
• Tuskegee Institute (1944)

Manning was born in Baltimore, Maryland but grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He loved swimming and growing up he always wanted to fly planes. He was engaged to Dicey Thomas before he left for war.