General Hudson Austin (HA) was a general commander of the People Revolutionary's Government (PRG) that was the government during the revolutionary period of 1979 to 1983. Hudson Austin was later imprisoned for the execution of Maurice Bishop and his comrades on Fort George on October 19, 1983. He was released in 2008 from the Richmon Hill Prison along with the other 16 members, of which two others have passed since (Phyllis Coard and Kamau McBarnette).
Hudson Austin passed on September 24, 2022.
Early Life
Hudson Austin was from Morne Jaloux, St. George's. He was born in 1938. He was one of nine (9) children (8 boys and 1 girl). His father was Elliot Austin, a village shoemaker. Hudson attended the Morne Jaloux Primary School but did not attend any secondary school. He and Maurice Bishop were childhood friends, and their families had close family ties linking back to the community of Morne Jaloux.
Years later, Hudson Austin worked as a public servant in Public Works. He moved on to work in the Prisons. In 1965, Hudson went to study in Trinidad, in the field of Prison Administration, and returned to Grenada where he became Chief Prison Officer at age 25.
During the Eric Gairy regime, Hudson lost his work in the Prisons, he worked as British American, and then finally found work as a road engineer. He worked as a road engineer for a couple years, leading the work that developed the road in L'ance aux epines.
Early Political Life
Hudson Austin entered into politics by first serving in the GULP. Later, he joined the JEWEL movement led by Unison Whiteman. When Maurice Bishop returned in 1976, and joined with Unison Whiteman, to form the NJM (New JEWEL Movement), Hudson Austin joined with them. Hudson had known Maurice Bishop from their childhood days. General Hudson Austin served as the main trainer of the forces for the preparation of the event of March 13, 1979, which was the overthrow of the Eric Matthew Gairy government. This includes the destruction of the military barracks at True Blue.
Once the PRG seized power in 1979, General Hudson Austin was given the responsibility for the General Army or People's Revolutionary Army (PRA). He held this position until October 1983.
Here are interviews with Hudson Austin (copyright to the New Today Grenada):
Revolutionary year (1983)
Hudson Austin articulated on several occasions that he remained a loyalist to Maurice Bishop - his childhood friend. He was never in support of co-leadership or joint leadership between Bernard Coard and Maurice Bishop. When the party members of the NJM (Central Committee) made a decision to move towards support of joint leadership in September 1983, he was not in support of it. On October 19, 1983, the day of the execution of Maurice Bishop on Fort George, Hudson Austin was not present on the fort.
Here are interviews with Hudson Austin (copyright to the New Today Grenada):
After 1983
Hudson Austin along with 17 other members were imprisoned for the death of Maurice Bishop and his comrades on October 19, 1983. He was released in 2008 from the Richmon Hill Prison. From since then, he has lived a solitary life at his home until his passing on September 24, 2022.
His memorable remarks on the Grenada revolution " the revolution meant well for the people of Grenada" and "my heart still bleeds for the revolution". Hudson was in support of the free secondary education that the Grenada revolution brought and is one of the highlighted achievements of the Grenada revolution.
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