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Jacobs, Kurt R. (12207399): Difference between revisions
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Rewrite mangled bio; IPW 154 / 106th; murder as POW; Jacobs and Zappler note |
RB Archive: father Terezin death cert gallery; Yad Vashem/Buffalo cites |
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|class_number=19;20 | |class_number=19;20 | ||
|class_display=19; 20 | |class_display=19; 20 | ||
|birth_place=Germany | |birth_place=Germany | ||
|rank_final=Staff Sergeant | |rank_final=Staff Sergeant | ||
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== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Kurt R. Jacobs was a German-born Jewish Ritchie Boy who | Kurt R. Jacobs (born Kurt Jacobsohn) was a German-born Jewish Ritchie Boy who settled in Buffalo, New York, after reaching the United States in 1936. His father, Jakob Jacobsohn of Berlin, died at the Theresienstadt (Terezín) ghetto on 30 September 1942, about two weeks after deportation from Berlin; Kurt had secured passage for his mother, Bertha Levy Jacobsohn, shortly before the war began but could not bring his father out. | ||
Jacobs and teammate [[Zappler, Murray (32824267)|Murray Zappler]] were taken prisoner and murdered because of their Jewish heritage. Their names appear on the 106th Division Headquarters honor roll (sometimes with typographical errors). The responsible German officer’s case is documented in a Dachau trial transcript. | Jacobs trained at [[Camp Ritchie]] (Classes 19–20) and served as a staff sergeant on IPW Team 154. The six-man team was attached to Headquarters, 106th Infantry Division, for interrogation of German prisoners. Jacobs and teammate [[Zappler, Murray (32824267)|Murray Zappler]] were taken prisoner and murdered because of their Jewish heritage. Their names appear on the 106th Division Headquarters honor roll (sometimes with typographical errors). The responsible German officer’s case is documented in a Dachau trial transcript. Jacobs is buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium. | ||
== Research notes == | == Research notes == | ||
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<div class="soldier-gallery"> | <div class="soldier-gallery"> | ||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px"> | <gallery mode="packed" heights="140px"> | ||
Kurt_R_Jacobs_12207399_father_Jakob_Jacobsohn_death_certificate.jpg|Death certificate for Jakob Jacobsohn (father of Kurt R. Jacobs), died at Theresienstadt (Terezín) on 30 September 1942 (RB Archive / family packet). | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
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<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"> | ||
* | * 17 November 1909 — Born Kurt Jacobsohn in Germany. | ||
* | * 1936 — Reached the United States; settled in Buffalo, New York. | ||
* | * 30 September 1942 — Father Jakob Jacobsohn died at Theresienstadt (Terezín). | ||
* | * May 1944 — Assigned to Camp Ritchie Class 19 (Section 5E). | ||
* 31 July–16 August 1944 — Class 20 (IPW Ge / German Documents Examiner). | |||
* 31 | * 4 September 1944 — Assigned to DEML; promoted to S/Sgt. | ||
* 4 September 1944 — Assigned to DEML | * 28 November 1944 — Assigned to IPW Team 154, 106th Infantry Division. | ||
* | * December 1944 — Captured and murdered as a POW (Jewish); buried Henri-Chapelle. | ||
* | |||
</div> | </div> | ||
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | </div><div style="clear: both;"></div> | ||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
* [[:File:Kurt_R_Jacobs_12207399_father_Jakob_Jacobsohn_death_certificate.jpg|Jakob Jacobsohn Theresienstadt death certificate (30 September 1942)]] | |||
* [https://deportation.yadvashem.org/index.html?language=en&itemId=5093047 Yad Vashem deportation page: Jakob Jacobsohn] | |||
* [https://jewishbuffalohistory.org/a-z/jacobs-kurt-r/ Jewish Buffalo History Center: Kurt R. Jacobs] | |||
* Bruce Henderson, ''Sons and Soldiers'' (account of Jacobs and Zappler as POWs) | * Bruce Henderson, ''Sons and Soldiers'' (account of Jacobs and Zappler as POWs) | ||
* [http://www.online.uni-marburg.de/icwc/dachau/000-006-0056.pdf Dachau trial transcript — Jacobs/Zappler murder case (Marburg ICWC)] | * [http://www.online.uni-marburg.de/icwc/dachau/000-006-0056.pdf Dachau trial transcript — Jacobs/Zappler murder case (Marburg ICWC)] | ||
Latest revision as of 04:21, 18 September 2026
| Kurt R. Jacobs | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1909 Germany |
| Died | 1944 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Awards | Purple Heart |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 12207399 |
| Rank | Staff Sergeant |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944), 20 (19 June – 16 August 1944) |
| Section | 5E (19); 5D (20) |
| Enlisted | Buffalo, New York |
| Unit / division | 106th Infantry Division |
| Team | IPW 154 |
Awards and honors
|
| Purple Heart |
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.
Kurt R. Jacobs (1909–1944) was a German-born Jewish Ritchie Boy on IPW Team 154 with the 106th Infantry Division; he was murdered as a prisoner of war because he was Jewish.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Kurt R. Jacobs (born Kurt Jacobsohn) was a German-born Jewish Ritchie Boy who settled in Buffalo, New York, after reaching the United States in 1936. His father, Jakob Jacobsohn of Berlin, died at the Theresienstadt (Terezín) ghetto on 30 September 1942, about two weeks after deportation from Berlin; Kurt had secured passage for his mother, Bertha Levy Jacobsohn, shortly before the war began but could not bring his father out.
Jacobs trained at Camp Ritchie (Classes 19–20) and served as a staff sergeant on IPW Team 154. The six-man team was attached to Headquarters, 106th Infantry Division, for interrogation of German prisoners. Jacobs and teammate Murray Zappler were taken prisoner and murdered because of their Jewish heritage. Their names appear on the 106th Division Headquarters honor roll (sometimes with typographical errors). The responsible German officer’s case is documented in a Dachau trial transcript. Jacobs is buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- KIA Murdered as POW
- IPW Team 154; murdered as POW (Jewish); with Murray Zappler
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Death certificate for Jakob Jacobsohn (father of Kurt R. Jacobs), died at Theresienstadt (Terezín) on 30 September 1942 (RB Archive / family packet).
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 35 |
| Nara ASN | 12207399 |
| Nara Name | JACOBS KURT R |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 29 |
| Nara POE | 2309 |
| Nara DOE | 131142 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | SC |
| Nara Branch Code | 90 |
| Branch | Signal Corps |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 0 |
| Term of enlistment | Unknown |
| Defer. Date | 3 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 9 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 8 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 46 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 69 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 191 |
| Class_ASN | 12207399 |
| Class_Name | JACOBS, Kurt R.; JACOBS, Kurt |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- 17 November 1909 — Born Kurt Jacobsohn in Germany.
- 1936 — Reached the United States; settled in Buffalo, New York.
- 30 September 1942 — Father Jakob Jacobsohn died at Theresienstadt (Terezín).
- May 1944 — Assigned to Camp Ritchie Class 19 (Section 5E).
- 31 July–16 August 1944 — Class 20 (IPW Ge / German Documents Examiner).
- 4 September 1944 — Assigned to DEML; promoted to S/Sgt.
- 28 November 1944 — Assigned to IPW Team 154, 106th Infantry Division.
- December 1944 — Captured and murdered as a POW (Jewish); buried Henri-Chapelle.
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Jakob Jacobsohn Theresienstadt death certificate (30 September 1942)
- Yad Vashem deportation page: Jakob Jacobsohn
- Jewish Buffalo History Center: Kurt R. Jacobs
- Bruce Henderson, Sons and Soldiers (account of Jacobs and Zappler as POWs)
- Dachau trial transcript — Jacobs/Zappler murder case (Marburg ICWC)
- Dan Gross research archive (miscellaneous timeline-adjacent documents; not uploaded): Jacobs and Zappler.doc
- 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 2017-09-03 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2019-06-06 (3 posts)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-03-08 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Kurt R. Jacobs for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Jacobs, Kurt R. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: KURT R. JACOBS (2021).doc, KURT R. JACOBS.doc)