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Fields, Fred D. (32878282): Difference between revisions

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|middle=D.
|middle=D.
|class_section=5F
|class_section=5F
|class_rank=Pvt
|class_rank=Private
|nativity=Ge
|nativity=Germany
|religion=J
|religion=Jewish
|enlistment_place=NEW YORK CITY NEW YORK
|enlistment_place=New York City New York
|state=NEW YORK
|state=New York
|ipw_ge=69
|ipw_ge=69
|overseas=Y
|overseas=Y
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|birth_year=1924
|birth_year=1924
|specialty=IPW (interrogation of prisoners of war)
|specialty=IPW (interrogation of prisoners of war)
|division=69th IPW; XX Corps, Third Army
|division=69th IPW Team; XX Corps
|photo=Enemy I Knew Fred Fields 1.png
|photo=Enemy I Knew Fred Fields 1.png
|class=10
|class=10
|ipw=69
|ipw=69
|story=The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Fred Fields
|teams=MII 447-G
}}
}}


<div class="soldier-lead">
<div class="soldier-lead">
'''Fred D. Fields''' (born 1924) was a Ritchie Boy (born Siegfried Dingfelder; from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 10 and served with IPW Team 69 and IPW (interrogation of prisoners of war).
'''Fred D. Fields''', born Siegfried Dingfelder around 1924, was a German-born Jewish refugee and Camp Ritchie interrogator. Serving with the 69th IPW Team under XX Corps, he followed the campaign from Metz through Remagen and into Germany.
</div>
</div>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Fred Fields recorded an interview with American Veterans Center shortly before his passing in March 2023. They have released his interview which I have linked below. Fred Fields was a member of IPW 69. Linked is his entire interview, where he discusses everything from his upbringing in Germany, his family, fleeing Germany to England, making his way to America, the US Army, Camp Ritchie, IPW 69 and more. I hope everyone who is interested gives it a listen. https://youtu.be/BUJp6Ryl3Sg
Fred D. Fields was born Siegfried Dingfelder around 1924 in Uehlfeld, Germany. He grew up in a Jewish family as Nazi persecution transformed daily life in the small Franconian community. During Kristallnacht his father was arrested and imprisoned at Dachau, making the danger to the family unmistakable.
 
Dingfelder escaped first to England and then reached the United States with his family in May 1940. They settled in Brooklyn, where the family operated a bakery and rebuilt a livelihood. He worked there before being drafted at about nineteen, only a few years after fleeing the country against which he would now serve.
 
The Army recognized his fluent German and direct knowledge of German life and sent him to Camp Ritchie for prisoner-interrogation training. Before shipping overseas he became an American citizen and changed his name to Fred Fields. The change protected a German-born soldier headed into combat while also marking his new national identity.
 
Fields joined the 69th Interrogation of Prisoners of War Team near Metz. Serving under XX Corps, he worked with fellow interrogators including Liethen, Wallach, and Bornstein. Their questioning of prisoners supplied information on enemy units, weapons, morale, and movements as American forces pushed through Luxembourg and Belgium and crossed the Rhine after the breakthrough at Remagen.
 
After Buchenwald had been liberated, Fields entered the concentration camp and confronted the consequences of the regime his family had escaped. He also returned to Uehlfeld with his cousin Henry Schwab of the 57th IPW Team, bringing two former refugees back in American uniform. By V-E Day, Fields was at Tutzing in Bavaria.
 
Fields returned to New York after the war. Although he had worked in the family bakery before military service, his later trade was butchering. He eventually retired as a butcher and lived in Riverdale, New York.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
* Was Siegfried Dingfelder
* Was Siegfried Dingfelder
* 447-G
* 5/8/1924-A
* 5/8/1924-A


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== Sources ==
== Sources ==
* Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
* 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)
* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2024-06-17 (1 post)
* Facebook-linked source: [https://youtu.be/BUJp6Ryl3Sg YouTube interview]
* [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Fred Fields|The Stories essay]]
* [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Fred Fields|The Stories essay]]
* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2024-06-17 (1 post)

Latest revision as of 05:28, 16 September 2026

Fred D. Fields
Fred D. Fields
Personal details
Birth nameSiegfried Dingfelder
Born1924
NativityGermany
ReligionJewish
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN32878282
RankPrivate
Camp RitchieClass 10 (23 July – 20 September 1943)
Section5F
EnlistedNew York City, New York
SpecialtyIPW (interrogation of prisoners of war)
Unit / division69th IPW Team; XX Corps
TeamsIPW 69, MII 447-G
Full story Read more about Fred D. Fields in Fred Fields on The Stories.
Interview Watch Fred D. Fields on American Veterans Center.
Teammates
Team — IPW 69
Team — MII 447-G
These are other soldiers listed on the same team roster. People moved between teams; overlapping service dates are not always documented.
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 D. Fields, born Siegfried Dingfelder around 1924, was a German-born Jewish refugee and Camp Ritchie interrogator. Serving with the 69th IPW Team under XX Corps, he followed the campaign from Metz through Remagen and into Germany.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Fred D. Fields was born Siegfried Dingfelder around 1924 in Uehlfeld, Germany. He grew up in a Jewish family as Nazi persecution transformed daily life in the small Franconian community. During Kristallnacht his father was arrested and imprisoned at Dachau, making the danger to the family unmistakable.

Dingfelder escaped first to England and then reached the United States with his family in May 1940. They settled in Brooklyn, where the family operated a bakery and rebuilt a livelihood. He worked there before being drafted at about nineteen, only a few years after fleeing the country against which he would now serve.

The Army recognized his fluent German and direct knowledge of German life and sent him to Camp Ritchie for prisoner-interrogation training. Before shipping overseas he became an American citizen and changed his name to Fred Fields. The change protected a German-born soldier headed into combat while also marking his new national identity.

Fields joined the 69th Interrogation of Prisoners of War Team near Metz. Serving under XX Corps, he worked with fellow interrogators including Liethen, Wallach, and Bornstein. Their questioning of prisoners supplied information on enemy units, weapons, morale, and movements as American forces pushed through Luxembourg and Belgium and crossed the Rhine after the breakthrough at Remagen.

After Buchenwald had been liberated, Fields entered the concentration camp and confronted the consequences of the regime his family had escaped. He also returned to Uehlfeld with his cousin Henry Schwab of the 57th IPW Team, bringing two former refugees back in American uniform. By V-E Day, Fields was at Tutzing in Bavaria.

Fields returned to New York after the war. Although he had worked in the family bakery before military service, his later trade was butchering. He eventually retired as a butcher and lived in Riverdale, New York.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

  • Was Siegfried Dingfelder
  • 5/8/1924-A

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Nara ASN 32878282
Nara Name FIELA FRED D
Nara State 23
Nara County 47
Nara POE 2364
Nara DOE 300343
Nara Grade Alpha PVT
Nara Grade Code 8
Nara Branch Alpha NO
Nara Branch Code 2
Branch No branch assignment
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 24
Nara Race J
Nara Race Description White not yet a citizen
Nara Education 4
Nara Civilian Occupation 401
Nara Marital Status 6
Nara Height (inches) 85
Nara Weight (lbs) 120
Class_ASN 32878282
Class_Name FIELDS, Fred D.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

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)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2024-06-17 (1 post)
  • Facebook-linked source: YouTube interview
  • The Stories essay
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