Kann, Walter (42050581): Difference between revisions

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|birth_date=25 May 1923

|death_date=1 December 2008

|teams=MII 498-G

|rank_final=Technical Sergeant

|death_place=Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

}}

'''~~[[Kann, Walter (42050581)|~~Walter Kann]]''' (25 May 1923 – 1 December 2008) was a ~~Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish)~~ who trained at Camp Ritchie in ~~class~~ 22 ~~and served with IPW Team 180~~.

'''Walter Kann''' (25 May 1923 – 1 December 2008) was a German-born United States Army interrogator who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 22]].

</div>

== Biography ==

~~[[Kann, Walter (42050581)|~~Walter Kann~~]] was a Ritchie Boy. Walter~~ was born May ~~25,~~ 1923~~. He~~ emigrated from Germany in June of 1938~~, and he served in the U.S. Army during WWII~~. After ~~completing courses at~~ Camp Ritchie he served as ~~an MI~~ interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a ~~Tech Sgt.~~ 316th~~, HQ~~ Intelligence Army Detachment ~~in 1946~~. ~~Walter~~ graduated Phi Beta Kappa from ~~CCNY~~ in 1948~~. He thereafter~~ began a ~~dynamic 60~~-~~year~~ career ~~in commodity trading~~, ~~long serving as a high level~~ executive ~~and board member~~ at Philipp Brothers~~, NY,~~ and ~~its successor companies for 38 years, living in~~ Tokyo ~~heading up Phibro's Japanese~~ operations ~~from 1953 through 1956~~. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. ~~He remained active~~ in ~~business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide~~, ~~but particularly in Asia~~ and ~~South Africa. Walter passed away on December 1~~, ~~2008 at the age of 85~~.

Walter Kann was born on 25 May 1923 and emigrated from Germany to the United States in June 1938. After Camp Ritchie (Class 22) he served as a military-intelligence interrogator in Germany with team MII 498-G and was honorably discharged as a technical sergeant in 1946 (316th Headquarters Intelligence Army Detachment).

He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from City College of New York in 1948 and began a long commodities-trading career, including executive roles at Philipp Brothers and heading Phibro’s Tokyo operations (1953–1956). In 1985 he helped found Newco AG in Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. Kann died on 1 December 2008; he had homes in New Canaan, Connecticut, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

== Research notes ==

* ~~498-G~~

* Birth place city not established in obituaries—keep nativity Germany only.

== Technical record ==

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== Timeline ==

* 25 May 1923 — Born in Germany.

* June 1938 — Emigrated to the United States.

* Class 22 — Trained at Camp Ritchie; MII 498-G interrogator in Germany.

* 1946 — Discharged as technical sergeant.

* 1948 — Graduated Phi Beta Kappa, CCNY.

* 1 December 2008 — Died.

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</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>

== Sources ==

* Camp Ritchie ~~class roster~~ (~~classes~~ 1–31), ~~merged~~ research ~~file~~

* “Walter Kann,” ''Palm Beach Daily News'', 5 December 2008 (RB Archive ProQuest)

* Paid notice / obituary, Walter Kann, ''New York Times'', 4 December 2008 (RB Archive ProQuest)

* 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 2023-02-07 (1 post)

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 |birth_date=25 May 1923
 |death_date=1 December 2008
+|teams=MII 498-G
+|rank_final=Technical Sergeant
+|death_place=Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
 }}
 <div class="soldier-lead">
-'''[[Kann, Walter (42050581)|Walter Kann]]''' (25 May 1923 – 1 December 2008) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 180.
+'''Walter Kann''' (25 May 1923 &ndash; 1 December 2008) was a German-born United States Army interrogator who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 22]].
 </div>
 == Biography ==
-[[Kann, Walter (42050581)|Walter Kann]] was a Ritchie Boy. Walter was born May 25, 1923. He emigrated from Germany in June of 1938, and he served in the U.S. Army during WWII. After completing courses at Camp Ritchie he served as an MI interrogator in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Tech Sgt. 316th, HQ Intelligence Army Detachment in 1946. Walter graduated Phi Beta Kappa from CCNY in 1948. He thereafter began a dynamic 60-year career in commodity trading, long serving as a high level executive and board member at Philipp Brothers, NY, and its successor companies for 38 years, living in Tokyo heading up Phibro's Japanese operations from 1953 through 1956. In 1985 he helped found Newco AG, Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. He remained active in business until his death. He was known and respected worldwide, but particularly in Asia and South Africa. Walter passed away on December 1, 2008 at the age of 85.
+Walter Kann was born on 25 May 1923 and emigrated from Germany to the United States in June 1938. After Camp Ritchie (Class 22) he served as a military-intelligence interrogator in Germany with team MII 498-G and was honorably discharged as a technical sergeant in 1946 (316th Headquarters Intelligence Army Detachment).
+He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from City College of New York in 1948 and began a long commodities-trading career, including executive roles at Philipp Brothers and heading Phibro’s Tokyo operations (1953–1956). In 1985 he helped found Newco AG in Switzerland, serving as chairman through 1999. Kann died on 1 December 2008; he had homes in New Canaan, Connecticut, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
 == Research notes ==
-* 498-G
+* Birth place city not established in obituaries—keep nativity Germany only.
 == Technical record ==
@@ Line 98: / Line 104: @@
 | row_source || both
 |}
+== Timeline ==
+<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
+<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
+* 25 May 1923 — Born in Germany.
+* June 1938 — Emigrated to the United States.
+* Class 22 — Trained at Camp Ritchie; MII 498-G interrogator in Germany.
+* 1946 — Discharged as technical sergeant.
+* 1948 — Graduated Phi Beta Kappa, CCNY.
+* 1 December 2008 — Died.
+</div>
+</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==
-* Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
+* “Walter Kann,” ''Palm Beach Daily News'', 5 December 2008 (RB Archive ProQuest)
+* Paid notice / obituary, Walter Kann, ''New York Times'', 4 December 2008 (RB Archive ProQuest)
+* 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 2023-02-07 (1 post)