Raymond M Rahner
MilitaryImage found at < a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ray_Rayner_Show_1968.JPG"> wikimedia commons.
In 1942, Rahner (pronounced "Rayner") enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained as a navigator on B-17s. Promoted Second Lieutenant, he was assigned to the 422nd Bombardment Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), deploying to England and 8th Air Force in September 1942. Rahner quickly developed a reputation for superior airmanship.
On 8th March, 1943, Rahner was assigned to a different crew than his own, with Lt. Albert Kuehl as pilot and Lt. Floyd Truesdell as copilot. Truesdell was on his first B-17 mission after transferring to the USAAF from Royal Air Force Coastal Command and would die at the controls of his B-17F 42-5376 JJ-X "Eager Eagle" in a mid-air collision with RAF No. 96 Squadron Bristol Beaufighter V8715 on 31st August 1943.
Sixty-seven B-17s attacked the railway yards at Rennes, including 16 from the 305th Bombardment Group. The formation was attacked by German fighters en route to the target, and Kuehl's aircraft, with Rahner navigating, bore the brunt of enemy attacks: the No. 3 engine was destroyed and the airplane's radio compartment, hydraulics, and control systems were all damaged. Every member of the crew was wounded -- particularly the bombardier, Lt. Arthur Spatz of Reno, Nevada. Though he was himself wounded, Lt. Rahner administered first aid, saving Spatz's life, then took over as bombardier, toggling the bombs, and fighting off German fighter attacks from two gun positions. Though the B-17 dropped out of formation, Rahner successfully navigated it to an RAF base in England. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for that action.
On 4th April 1943, Rahner was navigator in "Chuck Wagon," B-17F #42-5146 (code JJ-S). In a raid on the Renault automotive works near Paris, Rahner's aircraft was shot down, crashing in Normandy, and Rahner was taken prisoner. After being processed through Stalag VII A (Moosburg), he was imprisoned at Stalag Luft III. There he helped edit the camp newspaper, "The Circuit," and contributed to the digging of tunnels Tom, Dick, and Harry, serving as a lookout for German "ferrets" and helping disperse the dirt.
Following the War Rahner became an entertainer, a skill he discovered he excelled in whilst entertaining guards in prison camps. As "Ray Rayner," he became a well-known children's television presenter in Chicago, fronting various shows. His "Ray Rayner Show" was essential viewing for any child in the Chicago area between 1962 and 1981, mainly because it was the only way one could see cartoons before leaving for school. The program featured puppets, kitschy sketches, Warner Brothers cartoons, and a side-kick duck called "Chelveston" -- named, of course, for the home of the 422nd Bomb Squadron.
Rayner has a Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Rayner
Connections
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12035110
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39306396
- Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radioman
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18115925
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12041708
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Aircraft
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
France | 4 April 1943 - 29 April 1945 | 4 April 1943, shot down after raid on Renault works near Paris (see "133 Fortresses Raid Paris Plant," New York Times, 5 April 1943). Held at Stalag Luft III, where he worked on tunnels Tom, Dick, and Harry; edited the camp newspaper, "The Circuit," and performed on stage. |
Died |
Fort Myers, FL, USA | 21 January 2004 | |
Born |
Queens, NY, USA | 23 July 1919 |
Revisions
John L. Frisbee, "Valor: Victory From the Jaws of Defeat," Air Force Magazine (September 1994)
John L. Frisbee, "Valor: Victory From the Jaws of Defeat," Air Force Magazine (September 1994)
John L. Frisbee, "Valor: Victory From the Jaws of Defeat," Air Force Magazine (September 1994); "Lieutenant Spatz Seriously Wounded," Reno Morning Gazette (15 March 1943); Distinguished Service Cross Citation, U.S. Air Force archives
John L. Frisbee, "Valor: Victory from the Jaws of Defeat," Air Force Magazine (September 1994); Distinguished Service Cross Citation; U.S. Air Force Academy archive; Ridgely Hunt, "Children Like the Nicest People," Chicago Tribune (5 May 1968)
"Children Like the Nicest People", Chicago Herald Tribune, 5 May 1968. Sent courtesy of Russ Burgos.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15543 / MACR 15543 Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p 99. / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database