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Personal info

Full name
RALEY, Raymond Earl
Date of birth
29 September 1922
Age
21
Place of birth
Claremore, Rogers County, Oklahoma
Hometown
Washington County, Oklahoma

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