Joseph R. Rau was born on March 16, 1921, in New Jersey. He resided in New York County, New York, prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on March 26, 1942, in New York City, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office Clerk and also as Single, without dependents.

Joseph served in the 155th Photographic Squadron, 10th Reconnaissance Group, as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator on the F-3A #43-21728 'Sleepy Time Gal' during World War II. On September 5, 1944, his crew took off from Advanced Landing Ground A-39 in Châteaudun, France, for a photo reconnaissance mission in the Angers-Tours-Niort region in France. At about 12:00 PM, their aircraft was hit by flak in the right engine, which caught fire. The plane crashed in the Chillou estate in the commune of St-Michel-en-Brenne. All men aboard were killed in this incident.

2Lt Rau was originally interred in Champigneul Chalons Sur Marne, France, and was later repatriated in the Long Island National Cemetery, East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, USA, on February 3, 1949. He is in the same grave with 1Lt Fluhr.

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