Raymond S. Dau
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF)
43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG), 65th Bombardment Squadron (65th BS)
B-17 Flying Fortress Pilot

Background
Raymond "Ray" S. Dau was born in Arlington, VA. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) and attended flight school then was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with serial number O-424250. Sent overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) to Australian and assigned to the 19th Bombardment Group (19th BG). Later, assigned to the 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG) as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot.

Wartime History
On January 8, 1942 pilot B-17E Flying Fortress 41-9234 that bombed a convoy off Lae then force landed near Black Cat Pass in New Guinea. On May 24, 1943 returing from Rabaul, ditched B-17E "Gypsy Rose" 41-9193 and was rescued.

Photo via Down Under, 1942

Photos by Justin Taylan, January 8, 2006

References
Down Under South-West Pacific Area

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