Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
RALEY, Raymond Earl - Date of
birth
29 September 1922 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Claremore, Rogers County, Oklahoma -
Hometown
Washington County, Oklahoma
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
18162612 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Left Waist Gunner -
Unit
728th Bombardment Squadron,
452nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
9 April 1944 - Place of
death
Near Meltofte, Denmark
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 39 | 29 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Oscar C. Raley (father)
Hazel Raley (mother)
Cecil Raley (brother)
Richard Raley (brother)
Scott Raley (brother)
Madeline Raley (sister)
Leroy Raley (brother)
Donald Raley (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-39936 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Cawn't Miss
Destination: Posen, Poland
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 3662
More information
Sgt Raymond E. Raley was employed at his mother's sawmill.He enlisted 10 November 1942 at Tulsa, Oklahoma.
While on the return flight from Warnemünde the formation was attacked by approximately 12 FW 190 and "Cawn't Miss" was hit.
Both inner engines were set on fire and the crew started to leave the aircraft by parachute. The intercom had been damaged and Tail gunner S/Sgt Oather G. Meese only became aware the crew were bailing out when he saw a person come by the tail. Meese looked up in the waist and saw RH Waist gunner S/Sgt James E. Parker leave while LH Waist gunner S/Sgt Raymond E. Raley was lying dead on the catwalk. Meese then went forward where he met Ball turret gunner S/Sgt Bernard H. Brand and Radio operator S/Sgt Tomothy J. Nunan. They helped each other put on seat dinghy's and bailed out. All three of them landed on the island of Lolland.
The aircraft crashed near Meltofte on Lolland at 14:00 hours.
On the bottom picture, Sgt Raley is receiving an Air Medal from Lt Col Robert B. Satterthwhite.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, www.flensted.eu.com/1944032.shtml, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Morning Examiner - 8 July 1945