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2Lt Charles E Ranker
Monument

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2Lt Charles E Ranker Veteran

Birth
Ohio, USA
Death
15 Sep 1943 (aged 27–28)
Morobe, Papua New Guinea
Monument
Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines Add to Map
Plot
Tablets of the Missing ~ With a Rosette
Memorial ID
View Source
Charles' remains were discovered in 1993 and identified in 1998. He, along with the entire flight crew, were interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

" Click Here " for his record in Arlington.


The "Rosette" next to his name on the Tablet's here at Manila signifies that his remains were recovered.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Charles served as a Second Lieutenant & Bombardier on B-17F "Listen Here Tojo!" #41-24552, 65th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Seneca County, Ohio prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on March 7, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a sheet metal worker and also as Single, without dependents.

Charles was originally declared "Missing In Action" & his status has now changed to "Killed In Action"

B-17F #41-24552 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby as part of a mission to bomb the Chinatown area of Lae armed with 1,000 lbs. bombs. Over the target, clouds obscured the ground compelling three bombers in the formation not to release their bombs, as Australian Army troops were in the vicinity.

B-17F #41-24552 experienced anti-aircraft fire over Lae. The rest of the formation dropped their 1,000 lbs bombs on the target claiming direct hits. On the return flight to Port Moresby, this B-17 was last seen peeling off in the face of a thunderstorm over the Wau area, disappeared into a cloud and was never seen again.

This bomber has the sad distinction of being the last B-17 Flying Fortress lost in the Pacific War on a combat mission.

It was discovered in 1993 that this B-17 had impacted a mountainside in the Black Cat Gap area of the Hidden Valley in New Guinea.

Charles was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.

Service # O-738729

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on this flight:

Dotson, Delmar J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Eberly, Howard G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, OR
Ferraiolo, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CT
Hall, Watson C ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, SC
Jingozian, Arthur J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MA
McCartney, Theodore J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Messer, Jennings B ~ Sgt, Asst. Engineer, WV
Owens, Peter S ~ T/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NY
Ranker, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Stacy, George L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA
Townsend, Edgar L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY

Some information was used from Pacificwrecks.com. Visit this "amazing" non-profit group for more about this flight.

Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles' remains were discovered in 1993 and identified in 1998. He, along with the entire flight crew, were interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

" Click Here " for his record in Arlington.


The "Rosette" next to his name on the Tablet's here at Manila signifies that his remains were recovered.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Charles served as a Second Lieutenant & Bombardier on B-17F "Listen Here Tojo!" #41-24552, 65th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Seneca County, Ohio prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on March 7, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a sheet metal worker and also as Single, without dependents.

Charles was originally declared "Missing In Action" & his status has now changed to "Killed In Action"

B-17F #41-24552 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby as part of a mission to bomb the Chinatown area of Lae armed with 1,000 lbs. bombs. Over the target, clouds obscured the ground compelling three bombers in the formation not to release their bombs, as Australian Army troops were in the vicinity.

B-17F #41-24552 experienced anti-aircraft fire over Lae. The rest of the formation dropped their 1,000 lbs bombs on the target claiming direct hits. On the return flight to Port Moresby, this B-17 was last seen peeling off in the face of a thunderstorm over the Wau area, disappeared into a cloud and was never seen again.

This bomber has the sad distinction of being the last B-17 Flying Fortress lost in the Pacific War on a combat mission.

It was discovered in 1993 that this B-17 had impacted a mountainside in the Black Cat Gap area of the Hidden Valley in New Guinea.

Charles was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.

Service # O-738729

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on this flight:

Dotson, Delmar J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Eberly, Howard G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, OR
Ferraiolo, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CT
Hall, Watson C ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, SC
Jingozian, Arthur J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MA
McCartney, Theodore J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Messer, Jennings B ~ Sgt, Asst. Engineer, WV
Owens, Peter S ~ T/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NY
Ranker, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Stacy, George L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA
Townsend, Edgar L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY

Some information was used from Pacificwrecks.com. Visit this "amazing" non-profit group for more about this flight.

Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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  • Maintained by: blazen36
  • Originally Created by: War Graves
  • Added: Aug 8, 2010
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56765942/charles_e-ranker: accessed ), memorial page for 2Lt Charles E Ranker (1915–15 Sep 1943), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56765942, citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines; Maintained by blazen36 (contributor 49893165).