Raymond R. Carriker was born on June 3, 1921, in Kansas. He resided in Marion County, Illinois, prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on October 5, 1942, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Machinist and also as Single, without dependents.

Raymond served in the 409th Bomber Squadron, 93th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Engineer / Top Turret Gunner on the B-24 #42-100248 'Bar Fly' during World War II.

On April 1, 1944, his crew took off from Hardwick, England, for a mission to Germany. Between 11:40 AM and 12 noon, on their return from their mission, their plane was shot down by enemy fighters between Fresne-les-Reims and Burgundy, France, and crashed at Reims-Courcy. The incident resulted in the deaths of all crew members except for SSgt Stanley, who was taken as a prisoner.

TSgt Carriker is now buried in the Fort Gibson National Cemetery, Fort Gibson, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net