Vraciu has a new project he asked me to post.
P-38J-15-LO
"Gentle Annie" (MC*R)
S/N 42-104308
79th FS, 20th FG, 8th AF, USAAF
Col. Harold J. Rau
Kings Cliffe, UK, August 1944
This is Col. Harold J. "Hal" Rau's P-38J-15-LO coded MC*R and named "Gentle Annie" (S/N 42-104308). Rau had four different P-38 Lightnings--along with a P-51D--assigned to him during his time with the 20th FG, they were all J-models and named "Gentle Annie" with the code MC*R. This particular aircraft was transferred a number of times until it was lost on 17 June 1944. Its pilot, Lt. Emery Ryan, was killed.
Rau was the Commanding Officer of the 356th FG from February-November 1943 before taking over command of the 20th FG from March-December 1944. With 275 combat hours he scored one aerial victory over an ME-109 along with four ground kills (1 x JU-52 + 2 x HE-111 + 2 x ME-110). While in England Col. Rau adopted a yellow lab he named 'Honey' which he took home with him in 1945.
His decorations include the following:
Air Medal with 8 oak leaf clusters (1 silver, 3 bronze)
American Campaign Medal
American Defense Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 oak leaf clusters
Legion of Merit
National Defense Service Medal
Silver Star
World War II Victory Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Longevity Service Award with 5 oak leaf clusters (1 silver oak leaf cluster)
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 1 silver star and 1 bronze star
