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.
Rath, Hermann (01641712): Difference between revisions
Normalize nativity/religion; split arm of service from branch |
Add Holocaust Museum Houston source citation |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
|class_display=23 | |class_display=23 | ||
|arm_or_service=Signal Corps | |arm_or_service=Signal Corps | ||
|alias=Hermann Rathsprecher | |||
|birth_date=15 April 1913 | |||
|birth_place=Vienna, Austria | |||
|death_date=16 August 1998 | |||
|death_place=Houston, Texas | |||
|occupation=Engineer | |||
|marital=Ann Shankman (m. 1943) | |||
}} | }} | ||
<div class="soldier-lead"> | <div class="soldier-lead"> | ||
'''Hermann Rath''' (1913–1998) was a United States Army Second Lieutenant who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 23]]. | '''Hermann Rath''' (15 April 1913–16 August 1998) was a United States Army Second Lieutenant who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 23]]. | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Hermann Rath was born Hermann Rathsprecher in Vienna, Austria, on 15 April 1913. After Germany annexed Austria in 1938, life for Jewish families there became unbearable. In August 1938, Rath fled across the border into Belgium while his sisters secured permission to work in England; his parents and brothers remained in Vienna for a time. In Belgium he was not allowed paid employment and lived on a modest Jewish relief stipend. After repeated visits to the U.S. Consulate, he received an American visa in November 1939 and arrived in the United States in December 1939, settling in New York and working as a shipping clerk. | |||
Rath was commissioned in the U.S. Army and trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 23 as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps. While on assignment at Harvard University, he met Ann Shankman; they married in 1943 and later had a daughter, Paula. He was honorably discharged in 1945. | |||
After the war Rath worked as an engineer and later in the chemical and oil-refinery field, with work that took the family to Europe, South America, and Asia. He retired in 1983 and settled in Houston, where he volunteered at Seven Acres Geriatric Center and with a Holocaust survivors organization. He died in Houston on 16 August 1998. | |||
== Gallery == | == Gallery == | ||
| Line 48: | Line 56: | ||
== Sources == | == Sources == | ||
* Camp Ritchie | * 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) | ||
* [https://hmh.mwmdigital.com/survivor/18/ Hermann Rath — Holocaust Museum Houston survivor profile] | |||
Latest revision as of 02:55, 11 September 2026
| Hermann Rath | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Hermann Rathsprecher |
| Born | 15 April 1913 Vienna, Austria |
| Died | 16 August 1998 Houston, Texas |
| Nativity | Austria |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Arm / service | Signal Corps |
| ASN | 01641712 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 23 (25 September – 23 November 1944) |
| Section | 5A |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Hermann Rath (15 April 1913–16 August 1998) was a United States Army Second Lieutenant who trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, in Class 23.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Hermann Rath was born Hermann Rathsprecher in Vienna, Austria, on 15 April 1913. After Germany annexed Austria in 1938, life for Jewish families there became unbearable. In August 1938, Rath fled across the border into Belgium while his sisters secured permission to work in England; his parents and brothers remained in Vienna for a time. In Belgium he was not allowed paid employment and lived on a modest Jewish relief stipend. After repeated visits to the U.S. Consulate, he received an American visa in November 1939 and arrived in the United States in December 1939, settling in New York and working as a shipping clerk.
Rath was commissioned in the U.S. Army and trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 23 as a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps. While on assignment at Harvard University, he met Ann Shankman; they married in 1943 and later had a daughter, Paula. He was honorably discharged in 1945.
After the war Rath worked as an engineer and later in the chemical and oil-refinery field, with work that took the family to Europe, South America, and Asia. He retired in 1983 and settled in Houston, where he volunteered at Seven Acres Geriatric Center and with a Holocaust survivors organization. He died in Houston on 16 August 1998.
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 | 85 |
| Class_ASN | 1641712 |
| Class_Name | RATH, Hermann |
| 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)
- Hermann Rath — Holocaust Museum Houston survivor profile