Info: Australian? Australian War Correspondent, Pendil Arthur Rayner, (149).

Any information would be appreciated.



Need assistance on Who/Where/What/How for this man who is on the Australian Commemorative Roll which is for those "Australians" who died in other Allied Services. If proved not to be "Australian" their names will not be removed from the Commemorative Roll however their details will be updated accordingly.

I have researched the Air Force members but there are many more Land and Sea deaths in a myriad of different forces.

There is not a lot of information on these people that can be accessed easily and I ask your assistance to fill in at least some of the gaps.

Hopefully some relatives may see this thread and add more.

I will make a different thread for each along the way as they may tend to get lost if clumped together.

In Memory of
Reporter PENDIL ARTHUR RAYNER

149, Brisbane "Telegraph.", Australian War Correspondent
who died age 34
on 27 December 1943
Son of George Charles and Edith Rayner; husband of Isobel Alberta Ellen Rayner, of Bardon, Queensland.
Remembered with honour
PORT MORESBY (BOMANA) WAR CEMETERY

From: -30- chapter 5


A photo of Rayner is included in this bio





Pendil Arthur Rayner

Pendil Arthur Rayner, Brisbane Telegraph war correspondent, was killed in an air crash at Port Moresby on December 26, 1943. He was one of the best known and most brilliant journalists in Queensland. Joining the staff of the Telegraph in 1928 as a cadet (cub) reporter, Rayner had reached the peak of his profession at the time of his death.



BOMANA WAR CEMETERY, PAPUA, NEW GUINEA. 1943-12-29. CHAPLAIN J. D. MCKIE, CHURCH OF ENGLAND, CONDUCTING A GRAVESIDE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR PENDIL A. RAYNER, AN AUSTRALIAN WAR CORRESPONDENT, WHO WAS KILLED IN AN AIR CRASH. IN THE BACKGROUND CAN BE SEEN AMERICAN AND AUSTRALIAN WAR CORRESPONDENTS WHO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY, WHILE IN THE FOREGROUND IS THE FUNERAL PARTY DRAWN FROM THE 2/1ST HEADQUARTERS GUARD REGIMENT.



BOMANA WAR CEMETERY, PAPUA, NEW GUINEA. 1943-12-29. CLOSE UP OF THE GRAVE OF PENDIL A. RAYNER, AN AUSTRALIAN WAR CORRESPONDENT WHO WAS KILLED IN AN AIRCRAFT CRASH, SHOWING FUNERAL PARTY FROM THE 2/1ST HEADQUARTERS GUARD REGIMENT IN THE BACKGROUND AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEMORIAL SERVICE.



BOMANA WAR CEMETERY, PAPUA, NEW GUINEA. 1943-12-29. COMRADES PAYING THEIR LAST RESPECTS TO PENDIL A. RAYNER, AN AUSTRALIAN WAR CORRESPONDENT WHO WAS KILLED IN AN AIRCRAFT CRASH AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEMORIAL SERVICE. SHOWN ARE: VX12841 LIEUTENANT COLONEL F. J. HOWARD, GENERAL HEADQUARTERS; MR H. MISHAEL, "MELBOURNE AGE" CORRESPONDENT (2); MR YATES MCDANIEL, CHIEF OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BUREAU, SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA (3).


BOMANA WAR CEMETERY, PAPUA, NEW GUINEA. 1943-12-29. AT THE CONCLUSION OF A MEMORIAL SERVICE CONDUCTED BY CHAPLAIN J. D. MCKIE, CHURCH OF ENGLAND, A FIRING PARTY IN CHARGE OF QX226 SERGEANT N. L. ALAND AND FROM THE 2/1ST HEADQUARTERS GUARD REGIMENT, FIRE A VOLLEY OVER THE GRAVE OF PENDIL A. RAYNER, AN AUSTRALIAN WAR CORRESPONDENT, WHO WAS KILLED IN AN AIR CRASH AT THE FOURTEEN MILE AERODROME.


JOURNALIST LEFT £2609
Pendil Arthur Rayner, late of Bardon, war correspondent of The Telegraph. Brisbane, who met his death on duty in New Guinea on December 27 last, left £2609 gross personalty. By his will, which was admitted to probate yesterday, he bequeathed the estate to his widow.

 

Another correspondent was killed in the crash, and two were injured. The articles refer to him being accredited to Douglas MacArthur's HQ. One article mentions that two crew also perished, but doesn't mention any crew surviving.

B-17E "R.F.D. Tojo" Serial Number 41-2627

Pilot Colonel David W. Hutchison
Crew 1st Lt William H. Fairbank Jr., O-453251 (survived) Glendale, CA
Crew T/Sgt Nicholas C. Laboda, 12033182
Crew Cpl Philip J. Lynch, 16013446 (KIA) Bay City, MI
Crew T/Sgt George E. Manley, 31048318
Crew Pfc Robert C. McGee, 34141064 (KIA)
Crew S/Sgt Thomas A Lane, 39381881
Crew Pvt Ernest E. Young Jr., 14053129
Crew Cpl Hector E. Rodgers, 19070579
Crew Pvt Alex Black, 33115534
Cameramen Captain Carter
Cameramen S/Sgt Harbuan
Correspondents Raynor Morrison
Correspondents Lennard
Correspondents Taves
Crashed December 26, 1943



(Pacific Wrecks - B-17E "R.F.D. Tojo" Serial Number 41-2627).



Interesting paragraph in the second article of the attachment below that lists all of the war correspondent casualties. A few more Aussies in there.....

 

Thanks Dave.

The link I posted states there were 54 correspondents killed 1939-1945.

Cheers

Geoff