LIDDELL-JAMES

LCDR James Woodlan Liddell Jr. (SS) USN volunteered for submarine duty and was eventually assigned as Executive Officer of the USS Flier SS-250. The Flier was commissioned October 18, 1943. The newly designed Fleet submarine went on her first combat patrol West of Luzon and sunk the Transport Hakusan Maru and had a torpedo strike on another Merchantman. In another attack she had four hits on two cargo ships and three to four hits the next day on another cargo ship. Poor visibility precluded a claim of ship sunk. In her second war patrol she was assigned to the Borneo-Southern Philippine area to intercept merchant targets and targets of opportunity. Traversing the Balabac Strait between the two countries, she struck a mine and sunk within a minute. Of the 86 crew members 14 survived the sinking, including the Commanding Officer, CDR Crowley, then LT Liddell, and 12 others. In the water for up to 15 hours, they swam to the nearest land, Mantangula Island. Only eight made it. No water was found on the island and the survivors shared two coconuts between them while they built a raft. They paddled and swam holding on to it reaching Bugsuk Island in the Philippines. Friendly fishermen took them to the Philippine guerillas who then escorted them to a Coast Watchers Group. With the Coast Watchers' radio it was arranged for the USS Redfin SS-272 to pick up the survivors along with American and British people who had been hiding on the island since the war in the Philippines started. They were delivered to Australia, completed a formal inquiry into the loss of the USS Flier, and were reassigned to full duty status.

 

Liddell was then assigned as Executive Officer for the USS Irex SS-482. It was probably not a random assignment since the Commanding Officer of the USS Irex had been his Commanding Officer on the USS Flier, CDR Crowley. The Irex was a newly designed snorkel equipped boat. As the boat prepared to transit the Panama Canal Zone to the Pacific, the war ended. Liddell left the Navy and started a business that he named The Irex Corporation. It is still in business today.

 

James Woodlan Liddell Jr. died 05/27/2001 in Conestoga PA, and is buried at the Conestoga Cemetery at Lancaster, PA.

 

Submitted by Doug Bewall RMCM USN Ret.