John William Rayner

This article is a part of WikiProject Biography/Military

Wing Commander John William Rayner (born 19 May 1897, date of death unknown) began his military career during World War I. He became a flying ace during the waning months of the war, being credited with five aerial victories.

He resumed his military aviation career on 21 September 1929, when he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He continued his service into World War II, until he was medically discharged as a wing commander on 21 December 1944. By that time, he had been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire and a Justice of the Peace.

Early life
Rayner was born on 19 May 1897 in Gateshead, Tyne, Durham, England.

World War I military service
Rayner was commissioned into the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers on 14 September 1915. He then transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and flew as an aerial observer in No. 52 Squadron RFC. To do so, he relinquished his acting rank of captain in the Northumberland Fusiliers on 16 January 1917. He became an aerial observer with the rank of lieutenant on 18 January 1917.

After training as a pilot, on 10 September 1917 he was appointed as a flying officer with the rank of lieutenant. He was given an interim assignment to No. 89 Squadron RFC, but eventually posted to 60 Squadron on 25 August 1918 as a Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a pilot. He was promoted to flight commander of A Flight on 5 September 1918. That evening, he set one German Fokker D.VII aflame and drove another down out of control over Avesnes-le-Sec, France. On the afternoon of 23 October he drove another one down out of control over Salesches, France. At 0950 hours on 25 October 1918, he set a D.VII afire and drove another one down out of control over Berlaimont to become an ace.

Post World War I
On 17 January 1919, Rayner was transferred to the unemployed list of the Royal Air Force. On 1 April 1920, he resigned his commission in the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

On 10 September 1929, he resumed his military career, being commissioned as a probationary flying officer in Class A of The Reserve of Air Force Officers. Six years later, on 10 September 1935, he transferred to the Class C reserves.

He returned to active service on 6 August 1940, as can be told by his seniority when he transferred to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on 15 September 1943 as a Flight Lieutenant. He was quickly promoted to Flight lieutenant on 3 September 1940. He was invalided out of service as a Wing Commander on 21 December 1944.

By the time of his retirement, he had been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire and a Justice of the Peace.