Wachtel, Ernest (32776330): Difference between revisions

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{{Soldier

|lede_on_page=1

|asn=32776330

|surname=Wachtel

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|birth_year=1924

|death_year=2016

|nativity=Au

|nativity=Austria

|religion=H

|religion=Jewish

~~|assignment=V-747~~

|ipw_ge=62

|special=x

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|class_number=12

|class_display=12

|birth_place=Vienna, Austria

|rank_final=Capt

|birth_date=6 May 1924

|division=Third Army

}}

'''[[Wachtel, Ernest (32776330)|Ernest Wachtel]]''' (6 May 1924 – 2016) was a Vienna-born Ritchie Boy who served with IPW Team 62 of Patton’s Third Army from Omaha Beach into Germany.

</div>

== Biography ==

~~''Add~~ a ~~biography~~, ~~family details~~, and ~~sources~~. ~~Click Edit~~ to ~~change this page; no account is required~~.''

Ernest Wachtel was born on 6 May 1924 in Vienna, Austria, the only child of Sigmund (Shaye) and Sofie (Zusa) Liss Wachtel. After the Anschluss his school friends turned on him; Jews were forced to scrub antisemitic graffiti while mobs jeered. The family fled via France—his father later interned as an enemy alien—and Ernest reached New York alone in July 1938 at fourteen. His parents followed in 1939 to a chicken farm at Stelton, New Jersey, beside Camp Kilmer, whose officers’ mess bought their eggs and chickens.

Eager to serve, Wachtel forged his father’s signature to enlist. After Fort Leonard Wood and University of Kentucky topography training He was sent to [[Camp Ritchie]] (Classes 12 and 15). He crossed to Omaha Beach on D+3 (9 June 1944) and joined IPW Team 62 with Third Army, sorting and screening prisoners from Thionville through Trier and the Bulge. After Germany’s surrender He drove to newly liberated Dachau, photographed the dead, and helped three Jewish survivors find housing and supplies in Bad Tölz.

Discharged at Camp Kilmer on 24 December 1945, He married Rose Nussbaum in 1947 and later built businesses in sales, vending, laundry concessions, and apartment management. He died in 2016.

== Research notes ==

* Also 15th class/5B

* Also 15th class/5B, 2/14/44

* 2/14/44

* Class 12

* NG Class 12; Class 15*

* Class 15*

* 3rd Army

~~== 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 ==

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| row_source || both

|}

== Timeline ==

* 6 May 1924 — Born in Vienna, Austria.

* 1938 — Anschluss; family fled via France.

* July 1938 — Arrived alone in New York.

* 1939 — Parents joined him on a chicken farm near Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.

* 1943 — Enlisted; topography training at University of Kentucky; Camp Ritchie.

* 24 September 1943 — Arrived Camp Ritchie; Class 12 (later also Class 15).

* 9 June 1944 — Landed Omaha Beach (D+3); IPW Team 62, Third Army.

* May 1945 — Visited liberated Dachau; aided survivors in Bad Tölz.

* 24 December 1945 — Discharged at Camp Kilmer.

* 1947 — Married Rose Nussbaum.

* 2016 — Died.

</div>

</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>

== Sources ==

* Camp Ritchie ~~class roster~~ (~~classes~~ 1–31), ~~merged~~ research ~~file~~

* [https://holocaustcenter.org/research/oral-history-department/oral-histories-index/ Zekelman Holocaust Center oral-history index]

* [https://5152.sydneyplus.com/argus/final/Portal/Default.aspx?component=AAFG&record=370e404e-16b9-469f-bff7-559f799e945f Zekelman Holocaust Center oral history, OHV 418]

* 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 2024-03-31 (1 post)

* Facebook-linked source: [https://amzn.to/4ah6Lp3 amzn.to]

* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Ernest Wachtel for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)

* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Wachtel, Ernest for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: ERNEST WACHTEL (2020).doc, ERNEST WACHTEL.doc)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Soldier
+|lede_on_page=1
 |asn=32776330
 |surname=Wachtel
@@ Line 7: / Line 8: @@
 |birth_year=1924
 |death_year=2016
-|nativity=Au
+|nativity=Austria
-|religion=H
+|religion=Jewish
-|assignment=V-747
 |ipw_ge=62
 |special=x
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 |class_number=12
 |class_display=12
+|birth_place=Vienna, Austria
+|rank_final=Capt
+|birth_date=6 May 1924
+|division=Third Army
 }}
+<div class="soldier-lead">
+'''[[Wachtel, Ernest (32776330)|Ernest Wachtel]]''' (6 May 1924 &ndash; 2016) was a Vienna-born Ritchie Boy who served with IPW Team 62 of Patton’s Third Army from Omaha Beach into Germany.
+</div>
 == Biography ==
-''Add a biography, family details, and sources. Click Edit to change this page; no account is required.''
+Ernest Wachtel was born on 6 May 1924 in Vienna, Austria, the only child of Sigmund (Shaye) and Sofie (Zusa) Liss Wachtel. After the Anschluss his school friends turned on him; Jews were forced to scrub antisemitic graffiti while mobs jeered. The family fled via France—his father later interned as an enemy alien—and Ernest reached New York alone in July 1938 at fourteen. His parents followed in 1939 to a chicken farm at Stelton, New Jersey, beside Camp Kilmer, whose officers’ mess bought their eggs and chickens.
+Eager to serve, Wachtel forged his father’s signature to enlist. After Fort Leonard Wood and University of Kentucky topography training He was sent to [[Camp Ritchie]] (Classes 12 and 15). He crossed to Omaha Beach on D+3 (9 June 1944) and joined IPW Team 62 with Third Army, sorting and screening prisoners from Thionville through Trier and the Bulge. After Germany’s surrender He drove to newly liberated Dachau, photographed the dead, and helped three Jewish survivors find housing and supplies in Bad Tölz.
+Discharged at Camp Kilmer on 24 December 1945, He married Rose Nussbaum in 1947 and later built businesses in sales, vending, laundry concessions, and apartment management. He died in 2016.
 == Research notes ==
-* Also 15th class/5B
+* Also 15th class/5B, 2/14/44
-* 2/14/44
+* Class 12
-* NG Class 12; Class 15*
+* Class 15*
 * 3rd Army
-== 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 ==
@@ Line 46: / Line 55: @@
 | row_source || both
 |}
+== Timeline ==
+<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
+<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
+* 6 May 1924 — Born in Vienna, Austria.
+* 1938 — Anschluss; family fled via France.
+* July 1938 — Arrived alone in New York.
+* 1939 — Parents joined him on a chicken farm near Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
+* 1943 — Enlisted; topography training at University of Kentucky; Camp Ritchie.
+* 24 September 1943 — Arrived Camp Ritchie; Class 12 (later also Class 15).
+* 9 June 1944 — Landed Omaha Beach (D+3); IPW Team 62, Third Army.
+* May 1945 — Visited liberated Dachau; aided survivors in Bad Tölz.
+* 24 December 1945 — Discharged at Camp Kilmer.
+* 1947 — Married Rose Nussbaum.
+* 2016 — Died.
+</div>
+</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==
-* Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
+* [https://holocaustcenter.org/research/oral-history-department/oral-histories-index/ Zekelman Holocaust Center oral-history index]
+* [https://5152.sydneyplus.com/argus/final/Portal/Default.aspx?component=AAFG&record=370e404e-16b9-469f-bff7-559f799e945f Zekelman Holocaust Center oral history, OHV 418]
+* 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 2024-03-31 (1 post)
+* Facebook-linked source: [https://amzn.to/4ah6Lp3 amzn.to]
+* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Ernest Wachtel for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
+* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Wachtel, Ernest for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: ERNEST WACHTEL (2020).doc, ERNEST WACHTEL.doc)