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.
Jacobs, Kurt R. (12207399): Difference between revisions
Restore prior biography prose (rev 72220) and weave timeline facts |
Weave timeline facts into existing biography without replacing prose |
||
| Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
== Biography == | == Biography == | ||
Kurt graduated Berlin University (LLB). He studied radio in Buffalo, N. He worked as clothing designer and manager of clothes store. Stephen Dickerman Stange has sent a request for information related to the incident cited in Bruce Henderson's book, Sons and Soldiers, where two German-Jewish Ritchie Boys became POWs, were identified as being Jewish, and were murdered. He has sent me some photos that I want to share with the Community "Our daughter is the Primary Sentinel of Memory of [[Zappler, Murray (32824267)|Murray Zappler]] at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial. That is why we were in the footsteps of the 106th infantry division last Thursday." A Belgian Facebook friend sent the following information about the tragedy that befell Ritchie Boys [[Zappler, Murray (32824267)|Murray Zappler]] and [[Jacobs, Kurt R. (12207399)|Kurt Jacobs]]. He has sent me some photos that I want to share with the Community "Our daughter is the Primary Sentinel of Memory of [[Zappler, Murray (32824267)|Murray Zappler]] at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial. That is why we were in the footsteps of the 106th infantry division last Thursday." "This was the border between Belgium and Germany. He told 6 German soldiers to execute Zappler and Jacobs a few meters further." A Belgian Facebook friend sent the following information about the tragedy that befell Ritchie Boys [[Zappler, Murray (32824267)|Murray Zappler]] and [[Jacobs, Kurt R. (12207399)|Kurt Jacobs]]. He has sent me some photos that I want to share with the Community. "Zappler and Jacobs were with MIS etousa. They were assigned to the 423th of the 106th infantry division as interogaters for German POW's. The German POW's told Hauptman Bruns that there were 2Jewish men among the Americans." There are at least two Ritchie Boys buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Liege, Belgium, [[Zappler, Murray (32824267)|Murray Zappler]] and [[Jacobs, Kurt R. (12207399)|Kurt Jacobs]] (Purple Heart). When the German Commanding Officer learned they were Jewish, he had them summarily executed. | |||
== Research notes == | == Research notes == | ||
Revision as of 03:07, 1 September 2026
| Kurt R. Jacobs | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1909 Germany |
| Died | 1944 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | |
| Branch | |
| ASN | 12207399 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944), 20 (19 June – 16 August 1944) |
| Section | 5E (19); 5D (20) |
| Enlisted | Buffalo, New York |
| Team | IPW 154 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Kurt R. Jacobs (1909–1944) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19; 20 and served with IPW Team 154.
Biography
Kurt graduated Berlin University (LLB). He studied radio in Buffalo, N. He worked as clothing designer and manager of clothes store. Stephen Dickerman Stange has sent a request for information related to the incident cited in Bruce Henderson's book, Sons and Soldiers, where two German-Jewish Ritchie Boys became POWs, were identified as being Jewish, and were murdered. He has sent me some photos that I want to share with the Community "Our daughter is the Primary Sentinel of Memory of Murray Zappler at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial. That is why we were in the footsteps of the 106th infantry division last Thursday." A Belgian Facebook friend sent the following information about the tragedy that befell Ritchie Boys Murray Zappler and Kurt Jacobs. He has sent me some photos that I want to share with the Community "Our daughter is the Primary Sentinel of Memory of Murray Zappler at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial. That is why we were in the footsteps of the 106th infantry division last Thursday." "This was the border between Belgium and Germany. He told 6 German soldiers to execute Zappler and Jacobs a few meters further." A Belgian Facebook friend sent the following information about the tragedy that befell Ritchie Boys Murray Zappler and Kurt Jacobs. He has sent me some photos that I want to share with the Community. "Zappler and Jacobs were with MIS etousa. They were assigned to the 423th of the 106th infantry division as interogaters for German POW's. The German POW's told Hauptman Bruns that there were 2Jewish men among the Americans." There are at least two Ritchie Boys buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Liege, Belgium, Murray Zappler and Kurt Jacobs (Purple Heart). When the German Commanding Officer learned they were Jewish, he had them summarily executed.
Research notes
- KIA Murdered as POW
Gallery
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 35 |
| Nara ASN | 12207399 |
| Nara Name | JACOBS KURT R |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 29 |
| Nara POE | 2309 |
| Nara DOE | 131142 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | SC |
| Nara Branch Code | 90 |
| Branch | Signal Corps |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 0 |
| Term of enlistment | Unknown |
| Defer. Date | 3 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 9 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 8 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 46 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 69 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 191 |
| Class_ASN | 12207399 |
| Class_Name | JACOBS, Kurt R.; JACOBS, Kurt |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 28 November 1944 Assigned to IPW Team 154 attached to 106th Infantry Division.
- 28 November 1944 Assigned to IPW Team 154 attached to 106th Infantry.
- 4 September 1944 Assigned to DEML. Promoted to S/Sgt.
- 5/1944 Assigned to Class 19 Section 5E.
- 19.
- 20.
- Buried at the American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle, Belgium.
- Division.
Sources
- 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 2017-09-03 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2019-06-06 (3 posts)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-03-08 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Kurt R. Jacobs for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Jacobs, Kurt R. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: KURT R. JACOBS (2021).doc, KURT R. JACOBS.doc)










