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