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Lerner, Maximilian (32908439): Difference between revisions

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|birth_year=1924
|birth_year=1924
|nativity=Austria
|nativity=Austria
|religion=J
|religion=Jewish
|enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK
|enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK
|state=NEW YORK
|state=NEW YORK
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|class_display=11
|class_display=11
|birth_place=Vienna, Austria
|birth_place=Vienna, Austria
|death_place=Manhattan, New York City, United States
|death_place=Manhattan, New York City
|photo=Wikipedia_Max_Lerner.jpg
|photo=Wikipedia_Max_Lerner.jpg
|death_year=2022
|death_year=2022
|birth_date=4 September 1924
|death_date=10 September 2022
}}
}}


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'''Maximilian Lerner''' (1924–2022) was a Ritchie Boy (from Austria; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11.
'''[[Lerner, Maximilian (32908439)|Maximilian Lerner]]''' (1924–2022) was a Ritchie Boy (from Austria; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11.
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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
There are many good non-fiction books and short stories that describe the experiences of Ritchie Boys during their training at Camp Ritchie and their service in WWII. Books by such authors as Nina Wolff Feld, Bruce Henderson, Beverley Eddy, and K. Lang Slattery are just a few that come to mind. I especially enjoy the first-hand stories written by Ritchie Boys, only a few of which I have read. Recently I read and wrote about The Visitable Past written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Leon Edel. Today, I finished a book by Max Lerner, Flight and Return, A Memoir of World War II. Also an excellent book and easy read.
Maximilian Lerner (September 4, 1924 – September 10, 2022) was an Austrian-born American known for his work in the Military Intelligence Service during World War II. Lerner was born in Vienna, Austria on September 4, 1924, the son of a furrier and a homemaker. Born in Vienna, Austria, Max, his parents Isak and Bertha, and sister Susi, fled the Nazis in May 1938, arriving in the United States in 1941.


Back on February 9, I wrote the following: "There are many good non-fiction books and short stories that describe the experiences of Ritchie Boys during their training at Camp Ritchie and their service in WWII. Books by such authors as Nina Wolff Feld, Bruce Henderson, Beverley Eddy, and K. Lang Slattery are just a few that come to mind. I especially enjoy the first-hand stories written by Ritchie Boys, only a few of which I have read. Recently I read and wrote about The Visitable Past written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Leon Edel. Today, I finished a book by Max Lerner, Flight and Return, A Memoir of World War II. Also an excellent book and easy read." Today, I finished a novel by Ritchie Boy Maximilian, The Expendable Spy. Here is an excerpt from the review on Amazon: From the deserts of Libya and Egypt to the icy lakes of Scotland, from London under the Blitz to German occupied France, from Alpine glaciers to the stately homes of Britain, the book ranges over the landscapes of World War II.
RB LERNER, who was born in Austria and served in the Counter Intelligence Corps of the OSS, is 96. Max Lerner followed the same footsteps as Glenn's Father's family - being born in Vienna, Austria, fleeing to United States after the Anschluss, joining the US Army, training together at Camp Ritchie, and serving heroically in the European Theater of Operations in WWII. Army on his 18th birthday and became an American citizen soon after.


Ritchie Boy Max Lerner authored a novel about a little known part of World War II, Germany's effort to build a large submarine that would be capable of launching rockets on to U.S. coastal cities. His book, The Improbable Spy, was published in 2012, and I finished reading it today. Ritchie Boy Lerner also published another World War II novel, The Expendable Spy, and a non-fiction book, Flight and Return: A Memoir of World War II.
The family moved on to Manhattan, New York in 1941, where he attended high school at night while he worked during the day. Lerner learned French while he attended high school in France. After returning from the war, Lerner attended school on the G.I.


The cover of the June 2020 issue of the National Geographic magazine has a feature story entitled "The Last Voices of World War II/Seventy Five years after the end of history's deadliest war, survivors share their stories." Below are two photos. The one on the left is from the cover of the magazine and is of Lawrence Brooks, 110, America's oldest known WWII veteran. To the right is a collage of photos of WWII survivors, including that of RITCHIE BOY MAXIMILIAN LERNER. RB LERNER, who was born in Austria and served in the Counter Intelligence Corps of the OSS, is 96. This photo montage can be found on page 43 of the June issue., and RB Lerner is on the bottom row in the white turtleneck.
Maximilian Lerner immigrated from Vienna to New York in 1941, then enlisted in the US Army and went back to Europe as an American soldier in 1944. After the breakout in Normandy, he served as liaison with Free French Forces and was commissioned as Special Agent with the CIC. Lerner enlisted in the U.S.


The Veterans Breakfast Club has posted this event coming up on Monday, Oct 4, 2021 on their website - Join us for a discussion with two World War II “Ritchie Boys,” German-Austrian Jewish immigrants recruited by US Military Intelligence for counter-intelligence operations in Europe. Maximilian Lerner immigrated from Vienna to New York in 1941, then enlisted in the US Army and went back to Europe as an American soldier in 1944. He was recruited into the Office of Strategic Services as a special agent for secret missions in Germany. He also served in Europe overseeing interrogations and review of captured German documents. Beverley Eddy is a historian and author of Ritchie Boy Secrets: How a Force of Immigrants and Refugees Helped Win World War II. She will guide the conversation with our veterans about this fascinating story.
Ritchie Boy Maximilian Lerner arrived at Camp Ritchie the same month as Glenn Godart's father in 1943. After basic training, he was sent to Camp Ritchie, a training center for military intelligence. He was assigned to Camp Ritchie (part of the Ritchie Boys) for training as a counterintelligence officer.


More on Ritchie Boy Maximilian Lerner's October 19, 2021 YouTube Interview. Ritchie Boy Maximilian Lerner arrived at Camp Ritchie the same month as Glenn Godart's father in 1943. Max Lerner followed the same footsteps as Glenn's Father's family - being born in Vienna, Austria, fleeing to United States after the Anschluss, joining the US Army, training together at Camp Ritchie, and serving heroically in the European Theater of Operations in WWII. Below is a photo of Glenn Godart's Father receiving his Bronze Star from Gen. Crittenberg in May 1945 in Milan.
His book, The Improbable Spy, was published in 2012, and I finished reading it today. He since then, I reviewed a copy of his published memoirs “Flight and Return” (2013) and now know that he underwent Ranger training for 2 months at Camp Sharpe and was assigned to a Replacement Depot. He was one of the Ritchie Boys interviewed on the 60 Minutes program on January 2, 2022.


Ritchie Boy Maximilian Lerner turned 99 on September 4, 2022. He was one of the Ritchie Boys interviewed on the 60 Minutes program on January 2, 2022.
Maximilian worked as shipping clerk. When he arrived in Ireland, he joined the OSS but the Army assigned him to be an interpreter at HQ in London. He at war’s end, he served as an OSS officer in Bavaria (Bad Crailsheim) and as a Counterintelligence Officer in Wiesbaden.


Ritchie Boy Maximilian Lerner passed away just two weeks after turning 98. Our condolences to his family. From his obituary - "His was truly an American story. Born in Vienna, Austria, Max, his parents Isak and Bertha, and sister Susi, fled the Nazis in May 1938, arriving in the United States in 1941. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on his 18th birthday and became an American citizen soon after. He was assigned to Camp Ritchie (part of the Ritchie Boys) for training as a counterintelligence officer. As part of his service he gathered intelligence and arrested war criminals during the first stages of deNazification."
He started a horticultural products business and raised a family. Lerner was one of four Ritchie Boys to be interviewed by 60 Minutes for his role in military intelligence during World War II. He wrote a memoir and two spy novels.


Ritchie Boy Maximilian Lerner, who passed away September 10, 2022, has been honored on the grounds of Camp Ritchie.
He was recruited into the Office of Strategic Services as a special agent for secret missions in Germany. He also served in Europe overseeing interrogations and review of captured German documents. She will guide the conversation with our veterans about this fascinating story.
 
From his obituary - "His was truly an American story.
 
As part of his service he gathered intelligence and arrested war criminals during the first stages of deNazification." He died on September 10, 2022, in Manhattan.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
* Camp Sharpe (2 mos)
* Camp Sharpe (2 mos)
* OSS; CIC
* OSS
* 9/4/1924-A
* CIC


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
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| row_source || both
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== Timeline ==
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* Born 4 September 1924 in Austria of Jewish parents.
* 23 September 1943 — Naturalized as U.S. citizen in Hagerstown (Certificate No.5830629).
* 23 October 1943 — Graduated with Class 11 and classified as Asst Interrogator.
* July 1943 — Transferred to Camp Ritchie; assigned to Class 11 (IPW-Ge).
* At war’s end, he served as an OSS officer in Bavaria (Bad Crailsheim) and as a Counterintelligence Officer in Wiesbaden. One of the prisoners he encountered was prominent Nazi Julius Streicher.
</div>
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Lerner Wikipedia: Maximilian Lerner]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_Lerner Wikipedia: Maximilian Lerner]
* 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)
Line 146: Line 165:
* Facebook-linked source: [https://veteransbreakfastclub.org/ Veterans interview / article]
* Facebook-linked source: [https://veteransbreakfastclub.org/ Veterans interview / article]
* Facebook-linked source: [https://legcy.co/3ScnIHL legcy.co]
* Facebook-linked source: [https://legcy.co/3ScnIHL legcy.co]
* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Maximilian Lerner for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Lerner, Maximilian for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: MAXIMILIAN  LERNER (2021).doc)

Latest revision as of 02:58, 16 September 2026

Maximilian Lerner
Maximilian Lerner
Personal details
Born4 September 1924
Vienna, Austria
Died10 September 2022
Manhattan, New York City
NativityAustria
ReligionJewish
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN32908439
RankPrivate
Camp RitchieClass 11 (25 August – 23 October 1943)
Section5C
EnlistedNew York City, New York
Interviews Watch Maximilian Lerner in 4 recordings on Ritchie Boy Interviews: Veterans Breakfast Club (with Paul Fairbrook) · American Veterans Center · Interview with David S. Frey · Museum of Jewish Heritage.
Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.
Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.


Maximilian Lerner (1924–2022) was a Ritchie Boy (from Austria; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Maximilian Lerner (September 4, 1924 – September 10, 2022) was an Austrian-born American known for his work in the Military Intelligence Service during World War II. Lerner was born in Vienna, Austria on September 4, 1924, the son of a furrier and a homemaker. Born in Vienna, Austria, Max, his parents Isak and Bertha, and sister Susi, fled the Nazis in May 1938, arriving in the United States in 1941.

RB LERNER, who was born in Austria and served in the Counter Intelligence Corps of the OSS, is 96. Max Lerner followed the same footsteps as Glenn's Father's family - being born in Vienna, Austria, fleeing to United States after the Anschluss, joining the US Army, training together at Camp Ritchie, and serving heroically in the European Theater of Operations in WWII. Army on his 18th birthday and became an American citizen soon after.

The family moved on to Manhattan, New York in 1941, where he attended high school at night while he worked during the day. Lerner learned French while he attended high school in France. After returning from the war, Lerner attended school on the G.I.

Maximilian Lerner immigrated from Vienna to New York in 1941, then enlisted in the US Army and went back to Europe as an American soldier in 1944. After the breakout in Normandy, he served as liaison with Free French Forces and was commissioned as Special Agent with the CIC. Lerner enlisted in the U.S.

Ritchie Boy Maximilian Lerner arrived at Camp Ritchie the same month as Glenn Godart's father in 1943. After basic training, he was sent to Camp Ritchie, a training center for military intelligence. He was assigned to Camp Ritchie (part of the Ritchie Boys) for training as a counterintelligence officer.

His book, The Improbable Spy, was published in 2012, and I finished reading it today. He since then, I reviewed a copy of his published memoirs “Flight and Return” (2013) and now know that he underwent Ranger training for 2 months at Camp Sharpe and was assigned to a Replacement Depot. He was one of the Ritchie Boys interviewed on the 60 Minutes program on January 2, 2022.

Maximilian worked as shipping clerk. When he arrived in Ireland, he joined the OSS but the Army assigned him to be an interpreter at HQ in London. He at war’s end, he served as an OSS officer in Bavaria (Bad Crailsheim) and as a Counterintelligence Officer in Wiesbaden.

He started a horticultural products business and raised a family. Lerner was one of four Ritchie Boys to be interviewed by 60 Minutes for his role in military intelligence during World War II. He wrote a memoir and two spy novels.

He was recruited into the Office of Strategic Services as a special agent for secret missions in Germany. He also served in Europe overseeing interrogations and review of captured German documents. She will guide the conversation with our veterans about this fascinating story.

From his obituary - "His was truly an American story.

As part of his service he gathered intelligence and arrested war criminals during the first stages of deNazification." He died on September 10, 2022, in Manhattan.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

  • Camp Sharpe (2 mos)
  • OSS
  • CIC

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Nara ASN 32908439
Nara Name LERNER MAXIMILIAN
Nara State 23
Nara County 61
Nara POE 2364
Nara DOE 170543
Nara Grade Alpha PVT
Nara Grade Code 8
Nara Branch Alpha NO
Nara Branch Code 2
Branch No branch assignment
Nara Term or Enlistment 5
Term of enlistment Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
Defer. Date 0
Nara Source 0
Nara Nativity N2
Nara Year of Birth 24
Nara Race J
Nara Race Description White not yet a citizen
Nara Education 4
Nara Civilian Occupation 134
Nara Marital Status 1
Nara Height (inches) 48
Nara Weight (lbs) 148
Class_ASN 32908439
Class_Name LERNER, Maximilian
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • Born 4 September 1924 in Austria of Jewish parents.
  • 23 September 1943 — Naturalized as U.S. citizen in Hagerstown (Certificate No.5830629).
  • 23 October 1943 — Graduated with Class 11 and classified as Asst Interrogator.
  • July 1943 — Transferred to Camp Ritchie; assigned to Class 11 (IPW-Ge).
  • At war’s end, he served as an OSS officer in Bavaria (Bad Crailsheim) and as a Counterintelligence Officer in Wiesbaden. One of the prisoners he encountered was prominent Nazi Julius Streicher.

Sources[edit | edit source]

  • Wikipedia: Maximilian Lerner
  • 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)
  • 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-02-09 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-03-23 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-04-01 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-05-29 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-09-24 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-12-22 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-09-13 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-09-18 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-09-19 (1 post)
  • Facebook-linked source: bit.ly
  • Facebook-linked source: Veterans interview / article
  • Facebook-linked source: legcy.co
  • Dan Gross, Timeline of Maximilian Lerner for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
  • Dan Gross, Timeline of Lerner, Maximilian for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: MAXIMILIAN LERNER (2021).doc)
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