Austin was made a sergeant at Cambridge and was then posted to RAF Filton just north of Bristol, along with the other soldiers whose surnames began with A, B, or C to Training Wing Number 2 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) – a grass aerodrome that was – like much of the airforce at that time – short of aircraft.
RAF Bomber Command | RAF Sculthorpe | RAF Northolt | Filton | RAF Coastal Command | No. 33 Squadron RAF | No. 263 Squadron RAF | RAF Ringway | RAF Lakenheath | RAF Brize Norton | RAF Leuchars | RAF Mount Pleasant | RAF Mildenhall | RAF Greenham Common | RAF Fighter Command | No. 45 Squadron RAF | No. 127 Squadron RAF | RAF Wyton | RAF Welford | RAF Valley | RAF Tangmere | RAF Search and Rescue Force | RAF Molesworth | RAF Lossiemouth | RAF Leeming | RAF Honington | RAF Coningsby | RAF Alconbury | No. 617 Squadron RAF | No. 43 Squadron RAF |
In April it moved to Speke, rejoining Fighter Command and the following month moved to RAF Filton to fly defensive patrols over the English Channel; in July a move to Thorney Island saw it back in Coastal Command, where it stayed for the rest of the war.