Abt, Karl W. (16081924): Difference between revisions

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{{Soldier

|lede_on_page=1

|asn=16081924

|surname=Abt

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|middle=W.

|class_section=5E

|class_rank=~~Pfc~~

|class_rank=Private First Class

|birth_year=1923

|death_year=2008

|nativity=Ge

|nativity=Germany

|religion=P

|religion=Protestant

|enlistment_place=FT CUSTER MICHIGAN

|state=ILLINOIS

~~|assignment=VI-892~~

|ipw_ge=94; 97

|overseas=Y

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|class_number=16

|class_display=16

|birth_place=Helmstedt, Germany

|rank_final=major

|teams=MII 499-G

|birth_date=20 August 1923

|death_date=9 August 2008

}}

'''Karl W. Abt''' (1923–2008) was a United States Army Private First Class who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 16]]. Karl enlisted at Ft Custer, Michigan.

</div>

== Biography ==

~~''Add~~ a ~~biography~~, ~~family details~~, and ~~sources~~. ~~Click Edit~~ to ~~change this page; no account is required~~.''

Karl W. Abt was born on 20 August 1923 in Helmstedt, Germany. He entered Northwestern University as a chemistry major in 1941 and played clarinet and bass clarinet in the university band.

Inducted into the Army in 1943, Abt studied European languages at Princeton and trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 16). Fluent in German, he served with IPW Team 94 from Normandy through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany, interrogating prisoners, translating captured documents, and helping identify enemy personnel and spies. He remained in military intelligence until his 1946 discharge.

Abt returned to Northwestern and changed his major to business administration. He later recounted his wartime work in ''A Few Who Made a Difference: The World War II Teams of the Military Intelligence Service'' (2004). He died on 9 August 2008.

== Research notes ==

* """"""A Few Who Made a Difference""""""

* 499-G

* Enlisted Reserve or Medical Administrative Corps (MAC) Officer

* Exact dates come from the packet folder identification; no death place or award is inferred. The live lowercase 'major' rank is not carried forward because the packet reviewed here does not support it.

== Gallery ==

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| row_source || both

|}

== Timeline ==

* 20 August 1923 — Born in Helmstedt, Germany.

* 1941 — Entered Northwestern University as a chemistry major.

* 1943 — Inducted into the Army; studied European languages at Princeton and trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 16).

* 1944–1945 — Served with IPW Team 94 from Normandy through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.

* 1946 — Discharged and returned to Northwestern University.

* 2004 — Published A Few Who Made a Difference.

* 9 August 2008 — Died.

</div>

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

== Sources ==

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

* RB Archive Northwestern biographical material and course-record summary

* David Alvarez, review of Karl W. Abt, ''A Few Who Made a Difference'', ''History: Reviews of New Books'' 33, no. 3 (Spring 2005): 124 (RB Archive ProQuest copy)

* 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)

* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Karl W. Abt for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)

* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Abt, Karl W. for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: KARL W. ABT (references).doc)

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Soldier
+|lede_on_page=1
 |asn=16081924
 |surname=Abt
@@ Line 5: / Line 6: @@
 |middle=W.
 |class_section=5E
-|class_rank=Pfc
+|class_rank=Private First Class
 |birth_year=1923
 |death_year=2008
-|nativity=Ge
+|nativity=Germany
-|religion=P
+|religion=Protestant
 |enlistment_place=FT CUSTER MICHIGAN
 |state=ILLINOIS
-|assignment=VI-892
 |ipw_ge=94; 97
 |overseas=Y
@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 |class_number=16
 |class_display=16
+|birth_place=Helmstedt, Germany
+|rank_final=major
+|teams=MII 499-G
+|birth_date=20 August 1923
+|death_date=9 August 2008
 }}
+<div class="soldier-lead">
+'''Karl W. Abt''' (1923&ndash;2008) was a United States Army Private First Class who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, in [[Class 16]]. Karl enlisted at Ft Custer, Michigan.
+</div>
 == Biography ==
-''Add a biography, family details, and sources. Click Edit to change this page; no account is required.''
+Karl W. Abt was born on 20 August 1923 in Helmstedt, Germany. He entered Northwestern University as a chemistry major in 1941 and played clarinet and bass clarinet in the university band.
+Inducted into the Army in 1943, Abt studied European languages at Princeton and trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 16). Fluent in German, he served with IPW Team 94 from Normandy through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany, interrogating prisoners, translating captured documents, and helping identify enemy personnel and spies. He remained in military intelligence until his 1946 discharge.
+Abt returned to Northwestern and changed his major to business administration. He later recounted his wartime work in ''A Few Who Made a Difference: The World War II Teams of the Military Intelligence Service'' (2004). He died on 9 August 2008.
 == Research notes ==
-* """"""A Few Who Made a Difference""""""
-* 499-G
 * Enlisted Reserve or Medical Administrative Corps (MAC) Officer
+* Exact dates come from the packet folder identification; no death place or award is inferred. The live lowercase 'major' rank is not carried forward because the packet reviewed here does not support it.
 == Gallery ==
@@ Line 97: / Line 109: @@
 | row_source || both
 |}
+== Timeline ==
+<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
+<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
+* 20 August 1923 — Born in Helmstedt, Germany.
+* 1941 — Entered Northwestern University as a chemistry major.
+* 1943 — Inducted into the Army; studied European languages at Princeton and trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 16).
+* 1944–1945 — Served with IPW Team 94 from Normandy through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.
+* 1946 — Discharged and returned to Northwestern University.
+* 2004 — Published A Few Who Made a Difference.
+* 9 August 2008 — Died.
+</div>
+</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==
-* Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
+* RB Archive Northwestern biographical material and course-record summary
+* David Alvarez, review of Karl W. Abt, ''A Few Who Made a Difference'', ''History: Reviews of New Books'' 33, no. 3 (Spring 2005): 124 (RB Archive ProQuest copy)
+* 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)
+* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Karl W. Abt for Camp Ritchie'' (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
+* Dan Gross, ''Timeline of Abt, Karl W. for Camp Ritchie'' (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: KARL W. ABT (references).doc)