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Waith, Eugene M. (31335121): Difference between revisions
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Normalize nativity/religion; split arm of service from branch |
RB Archive: Waith Cloak & Gown + 557th FAB Ritchie/X-2 bio; page scans |
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'''Eugene M. Waith''' (1912–2007) was a | '''Eugene M. Waith''' (1912–2007) was a Yale English instructor and Ritchie Boy ([[Class 14]]) who served in OSS X-2 in Europe and later taught English literature at Yale. | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Eugene M. Waith was born in 1912. An instructor in English at Yale, he was drafted in the summer of 1943 and, because of his French and German, was sent to [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland ([[Class 14]]), for intelligence training after initially being slotted as a message-center clerk. The history of the 557th Field Artillery Battalion records that Pfc. Eugene Waith, the battalion historian, left for Camp Ritchie on 16 November. | |||
Waith was recruited into OSS X-2 in June 1944 in England, trained in the interpretation of intercepts, and attached to SHAEF. He entered Paris behind the advancing armies and served as a controller of enemy agents and interrogator—among the stronger X-2 controllers in France, according to Robin Winks’s ''Cloak & Gown''. After the war he returned to Yale as a professor of English literature. He died in 2007. | |||
== Research notes == | == Research notes == | ||
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== Gallery == | == Gallery == | ||
<div class="soldier-gallery"> | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px"> | |||
Eugene_Waith_31335121_Cloak_and_Gown_p302.png|Robin W. Winks, ''Cloak & Gown'', p. 302 — Eugene Waith / Camp Ritchie / X-2 (RB Archive). | |||
Eugene_Waith_31335121_Cloak_and_Gown_p303.png|Robin W. Winks, ''Cloak & Gown'', p. 303 (RB Archive). | |||
</gallery> | |||
</div> | |||
== Technical record == | == Technical record == | ||
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| row_source || both | | row_source || both | ||
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== Timeline == | |||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline"> | |||
<div class="soldier-timeline-body"> | |||
* 1912 — Born. | |||
* Prewar / early war — Instructor in English, Yale. | |||
* Summer 1943 — Drafted; French/German language skills noted. | |||
* 16 November 1943 — Left 557th Field Artillery Battalion for Camp Ritchie (Class 14). | |||
* June 1944 — Recruited into OSS X-2 in England; SHAEF attachment; later Paris / agent control. | |||
* Postwar — Professor of English literature, Yale. | |||
* 2007 — Died. | |||
</div> | |||
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | |||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
* Camp Ritchie | * [https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/eugene-waith-obituary?pid=179012559 Legacy.com obituary listing: Eugene Waith] | ||
* [https://news.yale.edu/2007/11/08/memoriam-eugene-m-waith-professor-english-literature Yale News in memoriam: Eugene M. Waith] | |||
* ''History of the 557th Field Artillery Battalion'' — Pfc. Eugene Waith transferred to Camp Ritchie, 16 November (RB Archive PDF). | |||
* Robin W. Winks, ''Cloak & Gown: Scholars in the Secret War, 1939–1961'' ([[:File:Eugene_Waith_31335121_Cloak_and_Gown_p302.png|pp. 302–303 excerpt]]). | |||
* 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) | ||
Latest revision as of 02:34, 18 September 2026
| Eugene M. Waith | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1912 |
| Died | 2007 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Protestant |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 31335121 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 14 (2 December 1943 – 31 January 1944) |
| Section | 7A |
| Specialty | OSS X-2 |
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.
Eugene M. Waith (1912–2007) was a Yale English instructor and Ritchie Boy (Class 14) who served in OSS X-2 in Europe and later taught English literature at Yale.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Eugene M. Waith was born in 1912. An instructor in English at Yale, he was drafted in the summer of 1943 and, because of his French and German, was sent to Camp Ritchie, Maryland (Class 14), for intelligence training after initially being slotted as a message-center clerk. The history of the 557th Field Artillery Battalion records that Pfc. Eugene Waith, the battalion historian, left for Camp Ritchie on 16 November.
Waith was recruited into OSS X-2 in June 1944 in England, trained in the interpretation of intercepts, and attached to SHAEF. He entered Paris behind the advancing armies and served as a controller of enemy agents and interrogator—among the stronger X-2 controllers in France, according to Robin Winks’s Cloak & Gown. After the war he returned to Yale as a professor of English literature. He died in 2007.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
No notes were in the source row. Add what you know.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Robin W. Winks, Cloak & Gown, p. 302 — Eugene Waith / Camp Ritchie / X-2 (RB Archive). -
Robin W. Winks, Cloak & Gown, p. 303 (RB Archive).
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 95 |
| Class_ASN | 31335121 |
| Class_Name | WAITH, Eugene M. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 1912 — Born.
- Prewar / early war — Instructor in English, Yale.
- Summer 1943 — Drafted; French/German language skills noted.
- 16 November 1943 — Left 557th Field Artillery Battalion for Camp Ritchie (Class 14).
- June 1944 — Recruited into OSS X-2 in England; SHAEF attachment; later Paris / agent control.
- Postwar — Professor of English literature, Yale.
- 2007 — Died.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Legacy.com obituary listing: Eugene Waith
- Yale News in memoriam: Eugene M. Waith
- History of the 557th Field Artillery Battalion — Pfc. Eugene Waith transferred to Camp Ritchie, 16 November (RB Archive PDF).
- Robin W. Winks, Cloak & Gown: Scholars in the Secret War, 1939–1961 (pp. 302–303 excerpt).
- 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)