Age 18. 200 Magnolia Curve, Montgomery, AL. Born on 1/02/1924, in Elba, AL. Died of burns (death certificate). Junior at the School of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (local address: 290 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA). Was spending the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with his hometown friend Pvt. Albert "Clyde" Sullivan, U.S. Army, age 22, also of Montgomery, AL, latter on leave from Camp Edwards on Cape Cod, Sandwich, MA, dead. "Because of an error in the official list, Rainer's address was listed as the United States Army Headquarters, 1st Corps Area. This error may be explained by the fact that he carried his R.O.T.C. card in his wallet, and consequently...was listed as an army engineer stationed at Technology. This error has now been officially corrected" (The Tech, M.I.T., 12/01/1942). Likely the otherwise undocumented "Bud Ryder" [sic] reported as dead in a foursome with Pvt. Sullivan, and Emerson College roommates Miss Jane Peavey, age 20, and Miss Marilen Playdon, age 19 (both dead), in the 11/30/1942 Boston Herald. Was a graduate of Sidney Lanier High School, Montgomery, AL, 1940, same class as Pvt. Sullivan. Had previously attended Auburn University, Auburn, AL, also with Pvt. Sullivan. Was single. Surname was misspelled "Rainier" (with an extra "i") in some news accounts, on his death certificate and on the final official November 1943 Boston Committee on Public Safety master list of casualties. Was tall and lean (WWII draft registration, June '42: 6' 1," 160 lbs.). Was the youngest of seven Alabamians lost in the disaster (also Ensign John Albritton, Sr., U.S.N.R., age 28, Lieut. Charles "Barney" Ireland, Jr., U.S.N.R., age 24, William Robert Norton, age 20, Broaddus Robinson, age 20, Lieut. John Stapleton, Jr., U.S. Army, age 25, and the above Pvt. Sullivan), tied (with Pennsylvania) as the fourth-most taken from any state after Massachusetts (406), New York (15) and New Hampshire (9). One of three dead from the southern city of Montgomery (also Ensign Albritton and Pvt. Sullivan). Parents Mr. and Mrs. Osborne J., Sr., and Estelle B. (Blue) Rainer, same Alabama address. "The funeral...will be held today [Thursday]...from the home of his parents...The services had been announced for yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon but train delay made them impossible" (The Montgomery Advertiser, 12/03/1942). His father died seven months later on 6/27/1943. Burial at Greenwood Cemetery, Montgomery, AL. Middle name Sims.

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