World War II Honoree

William A. Raney

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Cary, Mississippi

Honored By

C.J. Willis

Relationship

Shipmate

ASSIGNED IN THE AMERICAN AREA TO THE PATROL TORPEDO (PT) BOAT TRAINING STATION AT MELVILLE, RHODE ISLAND. UPON COMPLETION OF TRAINING, HE AND OTHER SHIPMATES WERE ORDERED TO NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA TO PICK UP A NEW PT BOAT AT THE HIGGINS INDUSTRIES PLANT. HE JOINED MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT SQUADRON 19 (RON 19) AND WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL ‘PLANK OWNERS’ OF PT-242. HIS BOAT SAILED FROM NEW ORLEANS ON MAY 15, 1943, ACROSS LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN TO MIAMI, FLORIDA, CUBA, MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL. THEIR BOAT WAS THEN LOADED ONTO AN OIL TANKER AT TABOGA ISLAND IN THE GULF OF PANAMA NEAR BALBOA AND TRANSPORTED TO THE NEW HEBRIDES ISLANDS AND UNLOADED AT ESPIRITU SANTO. HIS BOAT WAS ASSIGNED TO MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT (MTB) SQUADRONS SOUTH PACIFIC. SAILED ABOARD HIS BOAT TO TULAGI AND RENDOVA ISLANDS IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS EN ROUTE TO THE SQUADRON’S FIRST FORWARD BASE ON VELLA LAVELLA ISLAND. ARRIVED AT VELLA LAVELLA IN EARLY NOVEMBER, 1943. SERVED AS AN ENSIGN AND THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC AREA IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC ABOARD PT-242, NICKNAMED ‘CELESTE’. PARTICIPATED IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, AND TREASURY-BOUGAINVILLE OPERATIONS. FROM BASES AT VELLA LAVELLA AND TREASURY ISLAND IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, HIS BOAT PATROLLED THE COASTS OF BOUGAINVILLE AND CHOISEUL TO INTERDICT ENEMY RE-SUPPLY VESSELS, ATTACK ENEMY SHORE POSITIONS, SEARCH FOR DOWNED PILOTS, AND PERFORM GUARD AND SPECIAL PATROL MISSIONS. ON THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 27, 1943, OFF BOUGAINVILLE, HE WAS ACTING SKIPPER OF HIS BOAT WHEN IT AND ANOTHER RON 19 BOAT ENCOUNTERED THREE JAPANESE BARGES AND TOOK THEM UNDER FIRE. THE FIREFIGHT RESULTED IN THE SINKING OF THE BARGES BUT HIS BOAT WAS HIT BY ENEMY FIRE INCLUDING A ROUND THAT SET FIRE TO A TORPEDO WARHEAD IN ITS TUBE. IMMEDIATE ACTIONS BY THE CREW PUT OUT THE FIRE BEFORE THE WARHEAD COULD EXPLODE. AN EXPLOSION COULD HAVE CAUSED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE. MOVED TO A NEW FORWARD BASE ON GREEN ISLAND, BETWEEN BOUGAINVILLE IN THE SOLOMONS AND NEW IRELAND IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, ON MARCH 10, 1944. IN LATE MARCH, 1944 HE WAS REASSIGNED FROM PT-242 TO TAKE COMMAND OF PT-244, NICKNAMED 'WEREWOLF' WHICH WAS ALSO ASSIGNED TO RON 19 AT GREEN ISLAND. FROM THEIR BASE ON GREEN ISLAND, HIS BOAT PATROLLED NORTHERN BOUGAINVILLE, AND BUKA IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS; AND NEW BRITAIN AND NEW IRELAND IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, TO INTERDICT ENEMY SHIPPING, GATHER INTELLIGENCE, AND HARASS JAPANESE FORCES ASHORE WITH WEAPONS FIRE. PATROLS OFF NEW BRITAIN POSED THE CONTINUAL THREAT OF ENEMY AIR ATTACK AND HIS BOAT WAS ATTACKED SEVERAL TIMES. ABOUT MAY 15, 1944, HIS BOAT WAS REASSIGNED TO MTB SQUADRON 23, ALSO LOCATED ON GREEN ISLAND. AWARDED THE AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE WWII HONORABLE DISCHARGE LAPEL PIN.