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Service Details |
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Last Rank
Petty Officer Third Class
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Last Primary NEC
AMM-0000-Aviation Machinist's Mate
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Last Rating/NEC Group
Aviation Machinist's Mate
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Primary Unit
1943-1944, AMM-0000, USS Suwanee (CVE-27)
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Service Years
1942 - 1944
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Personal Details
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Home State
Pennsylvania | |
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Year of Birth
1924 |
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This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Steven Loomis (SaigonShipyard), IC3
to remember
Dobson, George Warren, Jr., AMM3c.
If you knew or served with this Sailor and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
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Casualty Info
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Home Town
Phoenixville, PA |
Last Address
919 W Bridge St
Phoenixville, PA
(Parents)
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Casualty Date
Oct 26, 1944 |
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Cause
Hostile, Died |
Reason
Artillery, Rocket, Mortar |
Location
Pacific Ocean |
Conflict
World War II |
Location of Interment
Buried at Sea - N/A, Pacific Ocean |
Wall/Plot Coordinates
Not Specified |
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List on the Walls of the Missing Manila American Cemetery Taguig City, Philippines
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Jul 24, 1942, Service Entry Date & Enlisted Serial Number 244-18-93 Rank of A.S.
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Apr 01, 1943, VF-27 Received on USS Suwannee
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May 01, 1944, Promoted to AAM3c
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Oct 26, 1944, Killed In Action Western Pacific Ocean, Bomb Explosion, Buried at sea 26 Oct '44
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Aug 10, 2012, General Photos 4
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Last Known Activity
George was born on July 29, 1924, to George W. and Gertrude Lacy Dobson who lived in Spring City, Pennsylvania. George was one of ten children.
His father was a laborer at the Phoenixville Iron Company. He moved his family to Phoenixville, residing at 919 Bridge Street.
George Jr. attended the Locust Grove School and later obtained employment at the Wheeler Dairy. He became a member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church located on Church Street.
George enlisted in the Navy on July 7, 1942, His brother, Donald, remembers the day his brother went into the Navy. They ate ice cream on his front porch. That was the last time he saw him.
George received basic training in Newport, Rhode Island. He was then assigned to the escort aircraft carrier USS Suwannee, CVE-27. After further training, George was assigned as an Aviation Machinist Mate Third Class (AMM 3c).
The Suwannee was originally a tanker AO-33 commissioned in 1939. She and three of her sister ships were converted to auxiliary aircraft carriers of the Sangamon Class, which later were designated Escort Carriers. We constructed over 100 escort aircraft carriers during the War. They served as a convoy escort, antisubmarine groups, ferrying aircraft and aircraft ground support. They were not first line carriers but served to augment our few large carriers, until more were constructed. Then served in support roles only, because of the slow speed and small aircraft complement. The "baby flattops" embarked 25-34 aircraft, while the big carriers supported 100.
The Suwannee embarked from Hampton Roads, Virginia with the large carrier USS Ranger CV-4 for the landings in North Africa in November 1942. The ship was part of the Central Attack group, whose target was Casablanca, Morocco. They provided air support for the landings as well as antisubmarine sorties. The ship's aircraft flew 255 sorties between November 8-11th, losing 5 aircraft. They also sunk an enemy French submarine, trying to escape.
George's ship transited the Panama Canal in December to head for the Pacific theater of operations (PTO). The Suwannee then provided air escort to convoys that supplied the battered but steadfast Marines on Guadalcanal for seven months.
In November 1943, his ship provided air support for the Gilbert Island landing on "Bloody Tarawa" in November. George's ship participated in the Marshall Islands campaign (Kwajalein, and Eniwetok) in January 1944, and the Hollandia landings on New Guinea by shuttling replacement aircraft to the larger fleet carriers in April.
In June, the Suwannee supported the landings on Saipan and Guam in the Marianas and drew first blood in the Battle of the Philippine Sea when she sunk the Japanese submarine I-184 on June 19th.
In October, George's ship supported our return to the Philippines when we landed on Leyte Island on October 20, 1944. The Japanese reacted with a complicated plan for the Naval Forces, involving a decoy force to draw away Halsey's fast fleet carriers and battleships, and three fleets flanking our forces to destroy the unprotected troop transports and cargo ships. The result was the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history. The battle covered 100,000 square miles, involved 200,000 participants and 6 battle fleets on October 24-25.
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George's ship was in "Taffy 1" further south of Taffy 3 which was involved in the running surface battle. But danger came from another quarter - the first kamikaze attacks of the war at 7:40 a.m. on October 25th. Suicide attacks were yet unknown and completely surprised the crews of the American ships. The first kamikaze hit a sister ship, the USS Santee CVE 29. The antiaircraft gun crews destroyed the next two and damaged a third, which rolled over and smashed into Suwannee opening up a 10-foot hole in the flight deck into which the aircraft' s bomb exploded opening the hole to 25 feet and causing a number of casualties.
Aviation Machinist Mate 3rd Class George Warren Dobson was listed on US Navy Muster Reports as Killed In Action on October 26th, 1944 by bomb explosion and buried at sea.
His parents were notified of his death on Thursday, November 11th, 1944
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Comments/Citation
Not Specified
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