Nelson Rae

Nelson Rae
Occupation Stage, voice actor

Nelson Stuart Rae (1914 – 12 January 1945) was an American radio and stage actor who was killed in combat in World War II.

Life

Nelson Rae was born in New Jersey on December 3, 1914 to Mr and Mrs. William F. Rae and lived in Brielle, New Jersey and was the third of four brothers, all of them served in World War II. George, William Jr, Nelson, and Wesley.[1][2][3][4] He began his acting career as a member of the St. Louis Municipal Opera Company.[5] In 1940 he landed a role as a member of the original cast of the Broadway musical Pal Joey, which opened in December of that year and starred Gene Kelly.[6]

In March 1941 Rae was drafted into the military and replaced in the cast of Pal Joey by Norman Van Emburgh.[2][3][7] He was assigned to the 518th Military Police Battalion stationed at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York, where he was in charge of soldier’s entertainment.[8]

Rae deployed to Europe as a member of the 2d Division Counter Intelligence Corps.[9] The 2nd Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment was activated on August 1944 in France and attached to the 2nd Infantry Division.[10] Rae died of wounds on 12 January 1945.[9] In January 1945 Rae’s family received notice that he had been killed in action in Belgium.[3] At the time of his death Rae held the rank of technical Sergeant. He was buried in Mendham, New Jersey.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Rae’s obituary in January 1945 lists his age at death as twenty-seven, which would make his birth date in 1917 or 1918. But Rae's military enlistment records list his birth as 1915. Census records from 1920 and 1930 at Ancestry.com list a “Nelson Rae” from Hudson, New Jersey born in 1915 whose father is William Rae, the same name as Rae’s father listed in his obituary.
  2. 1 2 3 "U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946: Nelson S Rae". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 2007-06-16.
  3. 1 2 3 “Ex-Actor Killed In Action.” New York Times (1857-Current file ); Nov 10, 1941; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 3. Hennepin County Public Library, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007.
  4. ↑ Article lists Brielle as home and William Rae as father."Monmouth County Army Casualties" (PDF). Red Bank Register. Red Bank, New Jersey. 1945-03-29. p. 2. Vol. LXVII., No. 40. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
  5. ↑ “Benefit Concert Is Held.” New York Times (1857-Current file). Oct 31, 1941; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 16. Hennepin County Public Library, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007.
  6. ↑ “The Play.”, New York Times (1857-Current file ); Dec 26, 1940; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003), pg. 22. Hennepin County Public Library, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007.
  7. ↑ “Burr Production Here On April 10.” New York Times (1857-Current file ); Mar 3, 1941; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 11. Hennepin County Public Library, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007.
  8. ↑ “Gala Attendance For Horse Show.” New York Times (1857-Current file ); Nov 10, 1941; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2003) pg. 11. Hennepin County Public Library, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007.
  9. 1 2 NCO's the MI Tradition. p. 12. Fort Huachuca, AZ homepage.
  10. ↑ Division Special Troops Battalion. 2nd Infantry Division Unit.

Gary S. Rae

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