Soft launch: Soldier biographies and research notes vary in completeness. Prefer class-roster, NARA, newspapers, and other cited sources for contested facts — treat Research notes as leads, not settled history. Anyone can correct a page; contact us with questions.
Wolston-Volfovsky, Ilya E. (31091891): Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Add audited Dan Gross timeline enrichment |
RB Archive: chronological bio; careful Venona list cite only |
||
| (2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
<div class="soldier-lead"> | <div class="soldier-lead"> | ||
'''Ilya E. Wolston-Volfovsky''' (1918–1984) was a | '''Ilya E. Wolston-Volfovsky''' (10 May 1918–1984), also known as Elliott I. Wolston, was a Russian-born Camp Ritchie [[Class 10]] Russian linguist who later worked in occupied Berlin; his name appears on public Venona name lists. | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Ilya | Ilya E. Wolston-Volfovsky was born on 10 May 1918 in Starodub, Russia. Drafted into the United States Army as a private (ASN 31091891), he became an American citizen and used the name Wolston (also recorded as Elliott I. Wolston). He graduated from [[Camp Ritchie]] [[Class 10]] on 20 September 1943 as a Russian linguist and was promoted to technician fourth grade on 27 September 1943. | ||
He was discharged on 11 October 1946. From late 1946 into 1949 he worked as a civilian for the U.S. Occupation administration in Berlin (Public Safety / State Department-related work in research notes). Public historical literature lists Ilya Elliott Wolston among Americans named in the Venona papers; the Wikipedia compilation of that list notes that the extent of any individual’s involvement with Soviet intelligence remains disputed. He died in 1984. Highest rank recorded on the roster page is colonel. | |||
From 1946 | |||
== Research notes == | == Research notes == | ||
* Was Elliott I. Wolston | * Was Elliott I. Wolston | ||
* Venona: published only the high-confidence public fact that the name Ilya Elliott Wolston appears on standard Venona Americans lists matching this identity (Elliott I. Wolston / ASN 31091891 / Class 10). No speculative espionage narrative added. | |||
== Gallery == | == Gallery == | ||
| Line 57: | Line 56: | ||
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline"> | <div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline"> | ||
<div class="soldier-timeline-body"> | <div class="soldier-timeline-body"> | ||
* | * 10 May 1918 — Born in Starodub, Russia. | ||
* | * Drafted as Pvt (ASN 31091891); naturalized; used name Wolston. | ||
* 18 May 1943 — Naturalization date noted in prior research timeline. | |||
* 18 May 1943 — | * 20 September 1943 — Graduated Camp Ritchie Class 10 (Russian linguist). | ||
* 20 September 1943 — Graduated | |||
* 27 September 1943 — Promoted to T/4. | * 27 September 1943 — Promoted to T/4. | ||
* 11 October 1946 | * 11 October 1946 — Discharged; thereafter civilian work in Berlin (OMGUS / State Dept., 1946–1949). | ||
* 1984 — Died. | |||
* | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | </div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | ||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Americans_in_the_Venona_papers Wikipedia: List of Americans in the Venona papers — entry “Ilya Elliott Wolston”] (list compiled largely from Haynes & Klehr; page notes disputes over extent of involvement) | |||
* 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 | ||
Latest revision as of 03:23, 18 September 2026
| Ilya E. Wolston-Volfovsky | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 May 1918 Starodub, Russia |
| Died | 1984 |
| Nativity | Russia |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 31091891 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 10 (23 July – 20 September 1943) |
| Section | 7D |
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.
Ilya E. Wolston-Volfovsky (10 May 1918–1984), also known as Elliott I. Wolston, was a Russian-born Camp Ritchie Class 10 Russian linguist who later worked in occupied Berlin; his name appears on public Venona name lists.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Ilya E. Wolston-Volfovsky was born on 10 May 1918 in Starodub, Russia. Drafted into the United States Army as a private (ASN 31091891), he became an American citizen and used the name Wolston (also recorded as Elliott I. Wolston). He graduated from Camp Ritchie Class 10 on 20 September 1943 as a Russian linguist and was promoted to technician fourth grade on 27 September 1943.
He was discharged on 11 October 1946. From late 1946 into 1949 he worked as a civilian for the U.S. Occupation administration in Berlin (Public Safety / State Department-related work in research notes). Public historical literature lists Ilya Elliott Wolston among Americans named in the Venona papers; the Wikipedia compilation of that list notes that the extent of any individual’s involvement with Soviet intelligence remains disputed. He died in 1984. Highest rank recorded on the roster page is colonel.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- Was Elliott I. Wolston
- Venona: published only the high-confidence public fact that the name Ilya Elliott Wolston appears on standard Venona Americans lists matching this identity (Elliott I. Wolston / ASN 31091891 / Class 10). No speculative espionage narrative added.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
After you are autoconfirmed, upload a photo and add [[File:Example.jpg|thumb|caption]] here, or set |photo=Example.jpg in the infobox.
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 66 |
| Class_ASN | 31091891 |
| Class_Name | WOLSTON-VOLFOVSKY, Ilya E. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 10 May 1918 — Born in Starodub, Russia.
- Drafted as Pvt (ASN 31091891); naturalized; used name Wolston.
- 18 May 1943 — Naturalization date noted in prior research timeline.
- 20 September 1943 — Graduated Camp Ritchie Class 10 (Russian linguist).
- 27 September 1943 — Promoted to T/4.
- 11 October 1946 — Discharged; thereafter civilian work in Berlin (OMGUS / State Dept., 1946–1949).
- 1984 — Died.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Wikipedia: List of Americans in the Venona papers — entry “Ilya Elliott Wolston” (list compiled largely from Haynes & Klehr; page notes disputes over extent of involvement)
- 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 Ilya E. Wolston-volfovsky for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 3 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Wolston-volfovsky, Ilya E. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 3 source files: ILYA E. WOLSTON - 16.doc, ILYA E. WOLSTON - BDE.doc, ILYA E. WOLSTON.doc)