Joseph Francis “Joe” Black, Jr. was born on October 20, 1918, in Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia. He was the son of Joseph F. Black and Sarah B. Black.
Joe had entered the service from Richmond, Virginia; he graduated from Richmond University with a BA degree and had intentions to pursue a career in medicine. It was his basic knowledge of medicine that probably saved Nancy's life when she developed appendicitis. He enlisted in the Navy Reserve on October 15, 1940, just 5 days before his 21st birthday. After 3 months he moved to Jackson Naval Air Station in Florida as an aviation cadet. He completed his training in August 1941 and was a commander of patrol planes such as the twin-engined PBY Flying Boat (Catalina). He served to protect shipping on America's east coast for nearly two years before transferring to the Pacific. East coast shipping needed protection because American shipping was a target for German submarines which ventured very close to east coast ports. Whilst at Cranfield, the Duke of Bedford invited the trainees to a dance at his ancestral home, Woburn Abbey and it was there that Joe met Nancy Annan, a WREN working at Bletchley Park. She was on an assignment working on breaking the German codes-they later became engaged to marry, but after Joe was killed Nancy was invited to America by his parents. She eventually married there and settled in America. Joe and Thomas were training for ultimate transfer to the Pacific theatre to combat Japanese night-fighters there. They were part of a ten-man group who gathered together on July 1, 1944, at USN HQ in London (only 4 of whom survived the war) thence to no.51 OTU at RAF Cranfield, Bedfordshire. At the time of his death, the squadron had only recently moved to RAF Coltishall, Norfolk.
Lt. Black was a Pilot in the United States Naval Air Force and was killed together with his navigator Lieutenant Thomas N Aiken whilst returning from operational duties. They observed an air-launched V1 Flying Bomb and gave chase when their De Havilland Mosquito night fighter was shot down by friendly fire from an anti-aircraft battery. The Mosquito was described as Britain's "Wooden Wonder"-it featured two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and was constructed of plywood and balsa wood. His Mosquito was named/numbered "K-King, HK 289. By autumn 1944 the allied forces in Western Europe had destroyed all the launch areas for the German V1 flying bombs. The Luftwaffe then began a program of air-borne launching of the missiles. Their plane crashed in the Suffolk countryside near Somerleyton.
Lieutenant Black is now buried in the Mount Calvary Cemetery, Richmond, Richmond City, Virginia, USA.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com