Nelson Stuart Rae (December 3, 1914 – January 12, 1945) was an American radio and stage actor who was killed in combat in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Life

Nelson Rae was born in New Jersey on December 3, 1914, to Mr and Mrs. William F. Rae. He lived in

Brielle, New Jersey Brielle is a borough located in southern Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, along the Manasquan River. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,982, its highest decennial count ever and an increase ...

and was the third of four brothers, all of whom served in World War II.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 a
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."Ex-Actor Killed In Action." ''The New York Times ''); November 10, 1941;

ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for l ...

Historical Newspapers

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

pg. 3.

Hennepin County Public Library Hennepin County Library is a public library system serving Hennepin County, Minnesota, US. The current iteration of Hennepin County Library was formed by the merger of urban Minneapolis Public Library and suburban Hennepin County Library on ...

, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007.Article lists Brielle as home and William Rae as father. He began his acting career as a member of the St. Louis Municipal Opera Company."Benefit Concert Is Held." The New York Times. Oct 31, 1941;

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pg. 16.

, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007. In 1940 he landed a role as a member of the original cast of the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

musical ''

Pal Joey Pal Joey may refer to: * ''Pal Joey'' (novel), a 1940 epistolary novel by John O'Hara * ''Pal Joey'' (musical), a 1940 musical based on the novel * ''Pal Joey'' (film), a 1957 film, loosely adapted from the musical of the same name * ''Pal Joey' ...

'', which opened in December of that year and starred

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

."The Play.", ''The New York Times''); December 26, 1940;

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, pg. 22.

, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007. In March 1941 Rae was drafted into the military and replaced in the cast of ''Pal Joey'' by Norman Van Emburgh."Burr Production Here On April 10." ''The New York Times''); March 3, 1941;

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(1851–2003) pg. 11.

, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007. He was assigned to the 518th

Military Police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...

Battalion stationed at

Fort Jay Fort Jay is a coastal bastion fort and the name of a former United States Army post on Governors Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. Fort Jay is the oldest existing defensive structure on the island, and was named for John Jay, a m ...

Governors Island Governors Island is a island in New York Harbor, within the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located approximately south of Manhattan Island, and is separated from Brooklyn to the east by the Buttermilk ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, where he was in charge of soldier's entertainment."Gala Attendance For Horse Show." ''The New York Times''); November 10, 1941;

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pg. 11.

, Minneapolis. June 16, 2007. Rae deployed to Europe as a member of the 2d Division

Counter Intelligence Corps The Counter Intelligence Corps (Army CIC) was a World War II and early Cold War intelligence agency within the United States Army consisting of highly trained special agents. Its role was taken over by the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps in 1961 and ...

. The 2nd Counter Intelligence Corps Detachment was activated in August 1944 in France and attached to the 2nd Infantry Division.Division Special Troops Battalion. 2nd Infantry Division Unit.
/ref> Rae died of wounds on January 12, 1945.NCO's the MI Tradition
. p. 12.

Fort Huachuca Fort Huachuca is a United States Army military base, installation, in Cochise County, Arizona, Cochise County in southeast Arizona, approximately north of the Mexico–United States border, border with Mexico and at the northern end of the Huac ...

, Arizona homepage. In January 1945 Rae's family received notice that he had been killed in action in Belgium. At the time of his death Rae held the rank of

technical sergeant Technical sergeant is the name of three current and two former enlisted ranks in the United States Armed Forces, as well as in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol. Outside the United States, it is used only by the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and ...

. He was buried in Mendham, New Jersey.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rae, Nelson 1914 births 1945 deaths American male stage actors United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel killed in World War II People from Brielle, New Jersey American male radio actors 20th-century American male actors