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Hellman, Fred W. (0907226): Difference between revisions

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|class_section=5A
|class_section=5A
|class_rank=Captain
|class_rank=Captain
|class_branch=AC
|birth_year=1912
|birth_year=1912
|death_year=1991
|death_year=1991
|nativity=US
|nativity=United States
|religion=P
|religion=Protestant
|ipw_ge=411;164
|ipw_ge=411;164
|overseas=Y
|overseas=Y
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|class_number=20
|class_number=20
|class_display=20
|class_display=20
|death_date=25 February 1945
|photo=
|arm_or_service=Air Corps
}}
}}


<div class="soldier-lead">
<div class="soldier-lead">
'''Fred W. Hellman''' (1912–1991) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 20 and served with IPW Team 411;164.
'''[[Hellman, Fred W. (0907226)|Fred W. Hellman]]''' (1912 – 25 February 1945) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 20 and served with IPW Team 411;164.
</div>
</div>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Ronald Friedman, the son of the late Rudolf (Rudy) Friedman, a Ritchie Boy who served on IPW Team 164, connected with us on November 12 with this message, "My dad, Rudolph E Friedman, was an April 1944 graduate of Camp Ritchie in the 16th graduating class. By June, he had become a Master Sergeant in the US Army serving in IPW 164 along with Harold Bergstrom, Andrew Akos, Jack Hillesum and Fred W. Hellman, serving in France and later into Germany. The momento that he and his unit had prepared still sits on my desk today. It is a cross section of an 88 mm howitzer used by US forces in the Battle of Germany (which this item commemorates). which,I believe, is the name they used at the time to talk about the incursion of the US military into Germany which led to the end of the war. I would love to hear from any of my dad's other unit members or their progeny." Incredibly, a relative of one of Rudy Friedman's IPW teammates, Fred Hellman, learned about the post and reached out to us to share his brother's story The picture below of Rudy Friedman was taken March 25, 1945 at the entrance to St. Ingbert, a city in the Saarland.
Captain Frederick (Fred) W. Hellman (1912–1991) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 20 and served with IPW Teams 411 and 164. (39076100)|Rudolph E.
 
In response to the posting of November 12, 2017, we received the following response from Mark Hellman, the son of the late Fred Hellman! "Hello, Ronald Friedman. What a pleasant surprise! I am the older son of Fred W. The momento you shared a photo of (see below) was a familiar object in our home in Indiana. Unfortunately, I don't think my brother Paul or I still have Dad's. But we do have a lot of other material and plan to share a photo that may include your father and a report on the activities of IPW Team 164 that Dad wrote after V-E Day."
 
Here is some information on RB Captain Frederick (Fred) Hellman, provided by his sons, Paul and Mark Hellman. "Fred Hellman, our father, served on IPW Team 164; he was the officer in charge. Dad was teaching at Kemper Military School, Boonville, MO when he heard about jobs teaching German and other subjects to pilots in training at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, Ala. He did that initially as a civilian but soon enlisted and completed officer training. After a couple of years at Maxwell Field, he was assigned to Camp Ritchie for training in 1944 and graduated that August in the 20th Class." More to follow
 
Mark Hellman writes that his Father "had grown up in a German-speaking Lutheran farm family in Nebraska, gone to the Univ of Nebraska, graduating at age 19 and then getting an MA there in the mid-1930's in Latin and German. The momento that Ronald Friedman shared a photo of (below right) was a familiar object in our house.... One sad thing about the momento: 2nd Lt. Shafer was a replacement....2nd Lt. Alfred Kupferschmidt, was killed in action on February 25, 1945, three days after the photo (below left)...was taken." According to RB historian Dan Gross, "Captain Fred W. Hellman (1912-1991) graduated Class 20 (German) and was officer in charge of IPW 164 attached to XXI Corps. At end of October 1944, fifteen IPW teams (30 officers and 60 enlisted men) were transported to Camp Shanks and then embarked on the SS Aquitania to ETO (Scotland). (RB Max Horlick was on same shipment) I didn’t know that Karl Schafer was a replacement for Alfred Kupferschmidt."
 
Fred Hellman "was discharged in early 1946 and soon began a high school teaching career at Howe Military School in Howe, Indiana where he lived for the rest of his life. He was also a military intelligence instructor in the Army Reserve (5th Army) almost every summer until retiring as a Colonel in 1972. Despite all the military involvement, Dad was not military minded in his day-to-day life. He saw himself mainly as a high school teacher, primarily of Latin, his favorite subject." The photo below is of Fred Hellman (far left) and the IPW 164 Team interrogating a German POW on February 22, 1945. Thank you, Mark, for sharing these wonderful stories about your late Father.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
* to Colonel
* Camp Ritchie certificate dated 16 August 1944 records completion of class 20.
* Fr 410
* The surviving interrogation photograph identifies Fred Hellman at the far left.


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
<div class="soldier-gallery">
<div class="soldier-gallery">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="140px">
1706670669354847.jpg
1706678459354068.jpg|Camp Ritchie certificate, dated 16 August 1944.
1706674632687784.jpg
1706692199352694.jpg|According to Mark Hellman, Fred Hellman is at the far left with unidentified soldiers from IPW 164 during an interrogation.
1706678459354068.jpg
1706683132686934.jpg
1706688559353058.jpg
1706692199352694.jpg|According to Mark Hellman, in the photo below Fred Hellman is at the far left along with some unidentified soldiers from IPW 164, during an interrogation.
</gallery>
</gallery>
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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 2018-01-10 (5 posts)
* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-01-10 (5 posts)
* [[:File:1706678459354068.jpg|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 1706678459354068.jpg]]
* [[:File:1706692199352694.jpg|Hellman interrogation photograph]]

Latest revision as of 15:38, 2 September 2026

Fred W. Hellman
Personal details
Born1912
Died25 February 1945
NativityUnited States
ReligionProtestant
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
Arm / serviceAir Corps
ASN0907226
RankCaptain
Camp RitchieClass 20 (19 June – 16 August 1944)
Section5A
TeamsIPW 411, IPW 164
Teammates
Team — IPW 411
Team — IPW 164
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 W. Hellman (1912 – 25 February 1945) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 20 and served with IPW Team 411;164.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Captain Frederick (Fred) W. Hellman (1912–1991) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 20 and served with IPW Teams 411 and 164. (39076100)|Rudolph E.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

  • Camp Ritchie certificate dated 16 August 1944 records completion of class 20.
  • The surviving interrogation photograph identifies Fred Hellman at the far left.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Camp Ritchie certificate, dated 16 August 1944.
    Camp Ritchie certificate, dated 16 August 1944.
  • According to Mark Hellman, Fred Hellman is at the far left with unidentified soldiers from IPW 164 during an interrogation.
    According to Mark Hellman, Fred Hellman is at the far left with unidentified soldiers from IPW 164 during an interrogation.

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 79
Class_ASN 907226
Class_Name HELLMAN, Fred
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 2018-01-10 (5 posts)
  • OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 1706678459354068.jpg
  • Hellman interrogation photograph
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