STRANGE, GEORGE W. SR.

George W. Strange Jr.

George W. Strange Jr. was born on December 5, 1916 in New Jersey, he lived on 45 Wainwright St. and later Intervale Place and graduated from Rye High School. He was the son of George W. and Jessie Fraser Strange. His father came to the US from England and his mothers parents came from Scotland and were members of the Presbyterian Church. In 1945 his mother, now a widow, was living at 448 Forest Avenue in Rye. George was married to the former Ruth E. Slater of Regent Street in Port Chester, NY when he enlisted in the U. S. Army on October 21, 1943.

George W. Strange Jr. first served as a Military Policeman MP and later was transferred to the 1896th Engineer Aviation Battalion stationed in Virginia.

Near the small town of Elko, VA, he and other trainees actually built a fake airport, complete with a runway, landing lights and empty buildings. It was a decoy to distract German bombers from the nearby Richmond Airfield should they cross the U.S. coastline. Luckily, the Nazi aviators never came calling.

After finishing up in Virginia, George headed by train for California. There he began a nearly-month-long voyage to New Guinea on a military transport ship with 3,500 men crammed aboard. After arriving in Lae, New Guinea, he helped build airfields and housing for American forces fighting the Japanese.

His second stop was Biak, where his Battalion followed the infantry ashore during a bloody fight to wrest the island from Japanese control. As the Army engineers there built roads and a landing strip for U.S. bombers, George helped fend off attacks from hold-out Japanese soldiers.

George attained the rank of Sergeant in the 1896th Engineers Aviation Battalion, part of the 6th Army which invaded the Philippines on the southern shore of the Linguyan Gulf. Despite their success in driving out the Japanese forces stationed there, they suffered relatively heavy losses; particularly to their convoys, due to Kamikaze attacks.

On New Year’s Day, 1945, his company joined an 80-ship convoy headed for the Philippines. Twelve days into the trip, near Corregidor, the convoy was attacked by 26 Japanese kamikazes.

His transport ship, the SS Kyle V. Johnson, was struck and badly damaged by one of the planes. When the plane hit the ship, it punched a huge hole in the starboard side and tore a second hole through an inside deck. Gasoline stored below for heavy engineering equipment then exploded in a massive fire.

From 4-12 January, a total of 24 ships were sunk and another 67 were damaged by kamikazes; including the battleships USS Mississippi, New Mexico and Colorado the latter was accidentally hit by friendly fire , the heavy cruiser HMS Australia, the light cruiser USS Columbia, and the destroyers USS Long and USS Hovey.

On January 12, 1945, the 1896th Engineers Aviation Battalions ship was enroot to the Philippines and attacked. George W. Strange Jr. along with 108 others were killed due to a kamikaze attack. His last letter to his wife and mother was dated Dec. 26th 1944. George is buried at Fort William Mckinley, Manila, the Philippines.

Following the landings, the Lingayen Gulf was turned into a vast supply depot for the rest of the war to support the Battle of Luzon. The goal of the 6th Army was Manila where it arrived late in January.

COMMENDATIONS

★ World War II Victory Medal★ Purple Heart★ American Campaign Medal★
Army Presidential Unit Citation★ Army Good Conduct Medal

George W. Strange Killed In Pacific
Sergt. George W. Strange, Jr. , was killed in action in the invasion of the Philippines, his wife, the former Ruth E. Slater, of 180 North Regent Street, Port Chester, learned on Tuesday through a War Department telegram. The son of Mrs. George W. Strange, 448 Forest Avenue, it is presumed the 29-year old soldier gave his life in the assault on Liuzon. He lived in Rye most of his life and was a graduate of Rye High School. Entering the service in November 1943, Segt. Strange served for a time as a military policeman and later was transferred to an engineers aviation battalion. He was home last September and went overseas the following month. His last letter, dated December 26, was received on January 9. Besides his wife and mother, Sergt. Strange Is survived by his 20-months old daughter, Christy Ann; a brother, Robert P. Strange, 2nd mate in the Merchant Marine, now at sea, and his grandfather, John G. Fraser of Rye.
RYE, NEW YORK FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1945