Kann, Walter (42050581) - Revision history

Admin: RB Archive batch-13 enrichment: RB Archive packet chronological regen

2026-09-17T01:49:35Z

RB Archive batch-13 enrichment: RB Archive packet chronological regen

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:49, 17 September 2026
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	\|death_date=1 December 2008		\|death_date=1 December 2008
	\|teams=MII 498-G		\|teams=MII 498-G
			\|rank_final=Technical Sergeant
			\|death_place=Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
	}}		}}

	<div class="soldier-lead">		<div class="soldier-lead">
	'''~~[[Kann, Walter (42050581)\|~~Walter Kann]]''' (25 May 1923 – 1 December 2008) was a ~~Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish)~~ who trained at Camp Ritchie in ~~class~~ 22 ~~and served with IPW Team 180~~.		'''Walter Kann''' (25 May 1923 – 1 December 2008) was a German-born United States Army interrogator who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 22]].
	</div>		</div>

	== Biography ==		== Biography ==
	Walter was born May ~~25,~~ 1923~~. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85. He~~ emigrated from Germany in June of 1938~~, and he served in the U.S~~. After ~~completing courses at~~ Camp Ritchie he served as ~~an MI~~ interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a ~~Tech Sgt.~~ 316th~~, HQ~~ Intelligence Army Detachment ~~in 1946~~. He ~~thereafter~~ began a ~~dynamic 60~~-~~year~~ career ~~in commodity trading~~, ~~long serving as a high level~~ executive ~~and board member~~ at Philipp Brothers~~, NY,~~ and ~~its successor companies for 38 years, living in~~ Tokyo ~~heading up Phibro's Japanese~~ operations ~~from 1953 through 1956~~. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. ~~He remained active~~ in ~~business until his death. He was known~~ and ~~respected worldwide~~, ~~but particularly~~ in ~~Asia and South Africa~~.		Walter Kann was born on 25 May 1923 and emigrated from Germany to the United States in June 1938. After Camp Ritchie (Class 22) he served as a military-intelligence interrogator in Germany with team MII 498-G and was honorably discharged as a technical sergeant in 1946 (316th Headquarters Intelligence Army Detachment).

			He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from City College of New York in 1948 and began a long commodities-trading career, including executive roles at Philipp Brothers and heading Phibro’s Tokyo operations (1953–1956). In 1985 he helped found Newco AG in Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. Kann died on 1 December 2008; he had homes in New Canaan, Connecticut, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

			== Research notes ==
			* Birth place city not established in obituaries—keep nativity Germany only.


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	\| row_source \|\| both		\| row_source \|\| both
	\|}		\|}

			== Timeline ==
			<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
			<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
			* 25 May 1923 — Born in Germany.
			* June 1938 — Emigrated to the United States.
			* Class 22 — Trained at Camp Ritchie; MII 498-G interrogator in Germany.
			* 1946 — Discharged as technical sergeant.
			* 1948 — Graduated Phi Beta Kappa, CCNY.
			* 1 December 2008 — Died.
			</div>
			</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==
			* “Walter Kann,” ''Palm Beach Daily News'', 5 December 2008 (RB Archive ProQuest)
			* Paid notice / obituary, Walter Kann, ''New York Times'', 4 December 2008 (RB Archive ProQuest)
	* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data		* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
	* Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records		* Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records

Admin: Remove research notes now confirmed on the profile

2026-09-10T04:31:40Z

Remove research notes now confirmed on the profile

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:31, 10 September 2026
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	\|birth_date=25 May 1923		\|birth_date=25 May 1923
	\|death_date=1 December 2008		\|death_date=1 December 2008
			\|teams=MII 498-G
	}}		}}

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	Walter was born May 25, 1923. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85. He emigrated from Germany in June of 1938, and he served in the U.S. After completing courses at Camp Ritchie he served as an MI interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. 316th, HQ Intelligence Army Detachment in 1946. He thereafter began a dynamic 60-year career in commodity trading, long serving as a high level executive and board member at Philipp Brothers, NY, and its successor companies for 38 years, living in Tokyo heading up Phibro's Japanese operations from 1953 through 1956. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. He remained active in business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide, but particularly in Asia and South Africa.		Walter was born May 25, 1923. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85. He emigrated from Germany in June of 1938, and he served in the U.S. After completing courses at Camp Ritchie he served as an MI interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. 316th, HQ Intelligence Army Detachment in 1946. He thereafter began a dynamic 60-year career in commodity trading, long serving as a high level executive and board member at Philipp Brothers, NY, and its successor companies for 38 years, living in Tokyo heading up Phibro's Japanese operations from 1953 through 1956. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. He remained active in business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide, but particularly in Asia and South Africa.

	~~== Research notes ==~~
	* 498-G

	== Technical record ==		== Technical record ==

Admin: Clarify museum roster and Dan Gross research sources

2026-08-31T03:45:15Z

Clarify museum roster and Dan Gross research sources

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:45, 31 August 2026
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	== Sources ==		== Sources ==
	* Camp Ritchie ~~class roster~~ (~~classes~~ 1–31), ~~merged~~ research ~~file~~		* Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
			* Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
	* NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)		* NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
	* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)		* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
	* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2023-02-07 (1 post)		* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2023-02-07 (1 post)

Admin: Rewrite Facebook-voice biography; curate gallery

2026-08-27T01:49:10Z

Rewrite Facebook-voice biography; curate gallery

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:49, 27 August 2026
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	== Biography ==		== Biography ==
	~~[[Kann, Walter (42050581)\|Walter Kann]] was a Ritchie Boy.~~ Walter was born May 25, 1923. He emigrated from Germany in June of 1938, and he served in the U.S~~. Army during WWII~~. After completing courses at Camp Ritchie he served as an MI interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. 316th, HQ Intelligence Army Detachment in 1946~~. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948~~. He thereafter began a dynamic 60-year career in commodity trading, long serving as a high level executive and board member at Philipp Brothers, NY, and its successor companies for 38 years, living in Tokyo heading up Phibro's Japanese operations from 1953 through 1956. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. He remained active in business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide, but particularly in Asia and South Africa~~. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85~~.		Walter was born May 25, 1923. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85. He emigrated from Germany in June of 1938, and he served in the U.S. After completing courses at Camp Ritchie he served as an MI interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. 316th, HQ Intelligence Army Detachment in 1946. He thereafter began a dynamic 60-year career in commodity trading, long serving as a high level executive and board member at Philipp Brothers, NY, and its successor companies for 38 years, living in Tokyo heading up Phibro's Japanese operations from 1953 through 1956. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. He remained active in business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide, but particularly in Asia and South Africa.

	== Research notes ==		== Research notes ==

Admin: Normalize nativity/religion; split arm of service from branch

2026-08-26T18:12:32Z

Normalize nativity/religion; split arm of service from branch

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:12, 26 August 2026
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	\|birth_year=1923		\|birth_year=1923
	\|death_year=2008		\|death_year=2008
	\|nativity=Ge		\|nativity=Germany
	\|religion=H		\|religion=Jewish
	\|enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK		\|enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK
	\|state=NEW YORK		\|state=NEW YORK

Admin: Normalize spacing before lifespan in opening summary

2026-08-26T15:05:45Z

Normalize spacing before lifespan in opening summary

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:05, 26 August 2026
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	<div class="soldier-lead">		<div class="soldier-lead">
	'''[[Kann, Walter (42050581)\|Walter Kann]]''' (25 May 1923 – 1 December 2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 180.		'''[[Kann, Walter (42050581)\|Walter Kann]]''' (25 May 1923 – 1 December 2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 180.
	</div>		</div>

Admin: Opening summary: use full birth/death dates when known

2026-08-26T14:59:14Z

Opening summary: use full birth/death dates when known

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:59, 26 August 2026
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	<div class="soldier-lead">		<div class="soldier-lead">
	'''[[Kann, Walter (42050581)\|Walter Kann]]''' (~~1923–2008~~) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 180.		'''[[Kann, Walter (42050581)\|Walter Kann]]''' (25 May 1923 – 1 December 2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 180.
	</div>		</div>

Admin: Enrich Born/Died infobox fields from biography prose

2026-08-26T13:29:57Z

Enrich Born/Died infobox fields from biography prose

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:29, 26 August 2026
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	\|class_number=22		\|class_number=22
	\|class_display=22		\|class_display=22
			\|birth_date=25 May 1923
			\|death_date=1 December 2008
	}}		}}

Admin: Link other Ritchie Boys named in Facebook bio/gallery captions

2026-08-26T12:44:31Z

Link other Ritchie Boys named in Facebook bio/gallery captions

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:44, 26 August 2026
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	<div class="soldier-lead">		<div class="soldier-lead">
	'''Walter Kann''' (1923–2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 180.		'''[[Kann, Walter (42050581)\|Walter Kann]]''' (1923–2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 180.
	</div>		</div>

	== Biography ==		== Biography ==
	Walter Kann was a Ritchie Boy. Walter was born May 25, 1923. He emigrated from Germany in June of 1938, and he served in the U.S. Army during WWII. After completing courses at Camp Ritchie he served as an MI interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. 316th, HQ Intelligence Army Detachment in 1946. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948. He thereafter began a dynamic 60-year career in commodity trading, long serving as a high level executive and board member at Philipp Brothers, NY, and its successor companies for 38 years, living in Tokyo heading up Phibro's Japanese operations from 1953 through 1956. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. He remained active in business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide, but particularly in Asia and South Africa. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85.		[[Kann, Walter (42050581)\|Walter Kann]] was a Ritchie Boy. Walter was born May 25, 1923. He emigrated from Germany in June of 1938, and he served in the U.S. Army during WWII. After completing courses at Camp Ritchie he served as an MI interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. 316th, HQ Intelligence Army Detachment in 1946. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948. He thereafter began a dynamic 60-year career in commodity trading, long serving as a high level executive and board member at Philipp Brothers, NY, and its successor companies for 38 years, living in Tokyo heading up Phibro's Japanese operations from 1953 through 1956. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. He remained active in business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide, but particularly in Asia and South Africa. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85.

	== Research notes ==		== Research notes ==

Admin: Publish Facebook post enrichment (lead/bio/fields/gallery)

2026-08-26T03:49:56Z

Publish Facebook post enrichment (lead/bio/fields/gallery)

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:49, 26 August 2026
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	<div class="soldier-lead">		<div class="soldier-lead">
	'''Walter Kann''' (~~1923–2008~~) was a ~~United States Army Private~~ who trained at [[Camp Ritchie~~]], Maryland,~~ in ~~[[Class~~ 22~~]]. Walter enlisted at New York City, New York~~.		'''Walter Kann''' (1923–2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 180.
	</div>		</div>

	== Biography ==		== Biography ==
	~~''Add~~ a ~~biography~~, ~~family details~~, and ~~sources~~. ~~Click Edit to change this page; no account is required~~.''		Walter Kann was a Ritchie Boy. Walter was born May 25, 1923. He emigrated from Germany in June of 1938, and he served in the U.S. Army during WWII. After completing courses at Camp Ritchie he served as an MI interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. 316th, HQ Intelligence Army Detachment in 1946. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948. He thereafter began a dynamic 60-year career in commodity trading, long serving as a high level executive and board member at Philipp Brothers, NY, and its successor companies for 38 years, living in Tokyo heading up Phibro's Japanese operations from 1953 through 1956. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. He remained active in business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide, but particularly in Asia and South Africa. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85.

	== Research notes ==		== Research notes ==
	* 498-G		* 498-G

	~~== Gallery ==~~
	~~''After you are autoconfirmed, [[Special:Upload\|upload a photo]] and add <code><nowiki>[[File:Example.jpg\|thumb\|caption]]</nowiki></code> here, or set <code>\|photo=Example.jpg</code> in the infobox.''~~

	== Technical record ==		== Technical record ==
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	* NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)		* NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
	* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)		* 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
			* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2023-02-07 (1 post)