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Howard, Fred (32799358): Difference between revisions
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Add Stern–Howard Soviet-uniform ruse; cite Aughinbaugh 2018 |
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|surname=Howard | |surname=Howard | ||
|first=Fred | |first=Fred | ||
|class_number=17 | |||
|class_section=5A | |class_section=5A | ||
|class_rank= | |class_rank=Private First Class | ||
|birth_year=1922 | |birth_year=1922 | ||
|death_year=2008 | |death_year=2008 | ||
|nativity= | |nativity=Germany | ||
|religion= | |religion=Jewish | ||
|enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK | |enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK | ||
|state=NEW YORK | |state=NEW YORK | ||
|ipw_ge=8;109 | |ipw_ge=8;109 | ||
|education=4 years of high school | |education=4 years of high school | ||
|occupation=Cabinetmakers | |occupation=Cabinetmakers | ||
|marital=Single with dependents | |marital=Single with dependents | ||
|certificate=6472 | |||
|photo=Howard, Fred (32799358) press TANGRAM.jpg | |||
|confidence=high | |confidence=high | ||
|class_display=17 | |class_display=17 | ||
|overseas=Y | |||
|birth_place=Silesia, Germany | |||
|rank_final=Technician Third Grade | |||
|birth_date=16 June 1922 | |||
}} | }} | ||
<div class="soldier-lead"> | <div class="soldier-lead"> | ||
'''Fred Howard''' (1922–2008) was a United States Army | '''Fred Howard''' (1922–2008) was a United States Army Pfc who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 17]]. | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Fred Howard was born Manfred Ehrlich in Silesia in 1922 and moved with his parents to Berlin in 1933. In the late 1930s he emigrated to the United States with his mother; his father and other relatives who could not obtain U.S. visas spent the wartime years in Shanghai. | |||
Howard joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and trained at Camp Ritchie as an interrogator. In 1944 he returned to Europe and worked interrogating German prisoners of war in a team with fellow Ritchie Boy [[Stern, Guy (37413105)|Guy Stern]]. After the war he returned to the United States and built a career as a designer and businessman. | |||
Near the end of the fighting in Europe, Howard and Stern used a well-known interrogation ploy: one of them posed in captured Soviet uniform so that uncooperative prisoners faced the threat of transfer to Russian custody if they refused to talk to the Americans. | |||
== Research notes == | == Research notes == | ||
* Manfred Ehrlich; OSS | * Manfred Ehrlich; OSS | ||
* Ritchie Boy | * Ritchie Boy | ||
* | * Display company owner; invented L’Eggs pantyhose | ||
== Gallery == | == Gallery == | ||
<div class="soldier-gallery"> | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px"> | |||
Howard, Fred (32799358).jpg|Earlier profile photograph (retained after press-photo update) | |||
Documentary Ritchie Boys VE Day Stern Sears Howard press.jpg|Ritchie Boys team on V-E Day, 8 May 1945 — Guy Stern, Walter Sears, Fred Howard (© TANGRAM; Bauer film press photo) | |||
</gallery> | |||
</div> | |||
== Technical record == | == Technical record == | ||
| Line 101: | Line 114: | ||
| row_source || both | | row_source || both | ||
|} | |} | ||
== Timeline == | |||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline"> | |||
<div class="soldier-timeline-body"> | |||
* Born 16 June 1922 in Germany (as Manfred Ehrlich); Religion: Jewish. | |||
* 1933 — Moved with his parents from Silesia to Berlin. | |||
* 22 April 1943 — Naturalized as citizen (with name change) in Wash. | |||
* 14 June 1944 — Transferred to DEML. Promoted to T/3. | |||
* 18 February 1944 — Attached to unit at Camp Ritchie. | |||
* 1944 — Served in Europe as an interrogator with Guy Stern. | |||
* 9 August 1945 — Transferred from MIS to OSS. | |||
* Shipment via Camp Myles Standish, included 40 six man IPW Ge teams (80 officers and 160 enlisted men). Assigned to IPW Team 8. | |||
* Late 1930s — Emigrated to the United States with his mother; father and relatives spent the war in Shanghai. | |||
</div> | |||
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | |||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
* Camp Ritchie | * 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) | ||
* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Fred Howard for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed) | |||
* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Howard, Fred for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: FRED HOWARD.doc) | |||
* [https://ritchieboys.com/EN/boys_howard.html The Ritchie Boys: Fred Howard] | |||
* [https://ritchieboys.com/EN/press_photos.html The Ritchie Boys film site — press photos] (© TANGRAM (Harald Stuckmann); high-res https://ritchieboys.com/DL/photos-highq/boys/howard.jpg) | |||
* [https://ritchieboys.com/EN/press_photos.html The Ritchie Boys film site — press photos] (© TANGRAM; V-E Day team photo) | |||
* [https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/ghj/vol17/iss1/5 Kevin M. Aughinbaugh, “The Castle of Intelligence: Camp Ritchie Maryland and the Military Intelligence Training Center during the Second World War,” ''The Gettysburg Historical Journal'' 17 (2018), art. 5] ([https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1201&context=ghj PDF]) | |||
Latest revision as of 01:06, 18 September 2026
| Fred Howard | |
|---|---|
_press_TANGRAM.jpg) | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 June 1922 Silesia, Germany |
| Died | 2008 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32799358 |
| Rank | Technician Third Grade |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private First Class |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 17 (11 March – 8 May 1944) |
| Section | 5A |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Teams | IPW 8, IPW 109 |
On film Fred Howard appears in The Ritchie Boys (Christian Bauer, 2004).
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.
Fred Howard (1922–2008) was a United States Army Pfc who trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 17.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Fred Howard was born Manfred Ehrlich in Silesia in 1922 and moved with his parents to Berlin in 1933. In the late 1930s he emigrated to the United States with his mother; his father and other relatives who could not obtain U.S. visas spent the wartime years in Shanghai.
Howard joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and trained at Camp Ritchie as an interrogator. In 1944 he returned to Europe and worked interrogating German prisoners of war in a team with fellow Ritchie Boy Guy Stern. After the war he returned to the United States and built a career as a designer and businessman.
Near the end of the fighting in Europe, Howard and Stern used a well-known interrogation ploy: one of them posed in captured Soviet uniform so that uncooperative prisoners faced the threat of transfer to Russian custody if they refused to talk to the Americans.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- Manfred Ehrlich; OSS
- Ritchie Boy
- Display company owner; invented L’Eggs pantyhose
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Earlier profile photograph (retained after press-photo update) -
Ritchie Boys team on V-E Day, 8 May 1945 — Guy Stern, Walter Sears, Fred Howard (© TANGRAM; Bauer film press photo)
.jpg)
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 86 |
| Nara ASN | 32799358 |
| Nara Name | HOWARD FRED |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 81 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 100243 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | BI |
| Nara Branch Code | 0 |
| Branch | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| 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 | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 22 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 432 |
| Nara Marital Status | 1 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 71 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 146 |
| Class_ASN | ti 32799358 |
| Class_Name | HOWARD, Fred |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- Born 16 June 1922 in Germany (as Manfred Ehrlich); Religion: Jewish.
- 1933 — Moved with his parents from Silesia to Berlin.
- 22 April 1943 — Naturalized as citizen (with name change) in Wash.
- 14 June 1944 — Transferred to DEML. Promoted to T/3.
- 18 February 1944 — Attached to unit at Camp Ritchie.
- 1944 — Served in Europe as an interrogator with Guy Stern.
- 9 August 1945 — Transferred from MIS to OSS.
- Shipment via Camp Myles Standish, included 40 six man IPW Ge teams (80 officers and 160 enlisted men). Assigned to IPW Team 8.
- Late 1930s — Emigrated to the United States with his mother; father and relatives spent the war in Shanghai.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- 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)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Fred Howard for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Howard, Fred for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: FRED HOWARD.doc)
- The Ritchie Boys: Fred Howard
- The Ritchie Boys film site — press photos (© TANGRAM (Harald Stuckmann); high-res https://ritchieboys.com/DL/photos-highq/boys/howard.jpg)
- The Ritchie Boys film site — press photos (© TANGRAM; V-E Day team photo)
- Kevin M. Aughinbaugh, “The Castle of Intelligence: Camp Ritchie Maryland and the Military Intelligence Training Center during the Second World War,” The Gettysburg Historical Journal 17 (2018), art. 5 (PDF)
