Kellman, William (32826847): Difference between revisions

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|class_display=14

|photo=5712343182120889.jpg

|birth_place=Vienna, Austria

|division=1st Infantry Division

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'''[[Kellman, William (32826847)|William Kellman]]''' (born 1922) was a Ritchie Boy ~~(from Austria;~~ Jewish~~) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 14~~.

'''[[Kellman, William (32826847)|William Kellman]]''' (born 1922 in Vienna) was a [[Class 14]] Ritchie Boy who interrogated for the 1st Infantry Division and later helped Jewish child survivors reach Palestine.

</div>

== Biography ==

~~More on him below.~~ William grew up in Vienna, Austria. He went to study in Nitra Yeshiva in Czechoslovakia ~~in 1937, and when Germany annexed Czechoslovakia~~ he ~~was~~ transferred to Schneider Yeshiva in London. ~~When the situation in Europe became grim, and he started learning English and realized he had to get out of Europe. He left with~~ his brother Herman and ~~traveled through Hungary~~, ~~Belgium and finally made it to~~ the US in 1940. He was drafted March 8, 1943. Did basic training in Camp Butner, North Carolina then was transferred to Military Intelligence School in Camp Ritchie. A graduate of the 14th class on January 31,1944 and was sent back to Europe March 21, 1944. He was attached to the 1st infantry division and was attached to this unit and traveled with them wherever they went. When they captured a German occupied town, it was his responsibility to search the town for troops and civilians left behind. Often the Germans left members of the Hitler Youth and other soldiers left in safe houses. He would interrogate them in German to see what they knew and how the US Army can use that information. Often they would claim to be “good people", Jews, or innocent allies, but with his German looks and German being his native language he was able to determine whether they truly were. Usually they were German SS officers, and he knew the signs. He looked for sabotage, treason, espionage, found out what they knew and had to relay the information quickly to be effective. As the US infantry advanced, he accumulated more knowledge, SS uniforms, weapons, artillery, documents and used them to gain access to other German hideouts. After the war, he helped with the Jewish survivors of the concentration camps. He vividly remembers finding two young Jewish boys in Czechoslovakia. He asked them about Pesach, Yom Kippur to see if they truly were Jews. These two boys were and he got them into a military DP camp to have them deloused, and fed, and got them bicycles and papers to get them to Germany, France, and then Italy to meet the Hagganah ship to take them to Palestine. His big regret was not asking them their names to see what happened to them and where they ended up.

William Kellman grew up in Vienna, Austria. In 1937 he went to study at the Nitra Yeshiva in Czechoslovakia; after the German annexation he transferred to Schneider Yeshiva in London. With his brother Herman he left Europe via Hungary and Belgium, reaching the United States in 1940.

~~Bit~~.~~ly/3rvISIP If you happen~~ to be in ~~New York City this week~~, and ~~want~~ to ~~learn about the Ritchie Boys, you are invited to attend the Tisha B'Av service at~~ the ~~Carlebach Shul on West 79th Street in Manhattan~~. In ~~addition to the showing of the Ritchie Boys documentary film~~, ~~there will be~~ a ~~presentation by the sons of two Ritchie Boys~~, ~~Bernie Lubran (son of RB [[Lubran~~, ~~Walter H. Details can be found below~~.

Drafted on 8 March 1943, Kellman took basic training at Camp Butner, North Carolina, then trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], graduating with [[Class 14]] on 31 January 1944. He returned to Europe on 21 March 1944 attached to the 1st Infantry Division. As towns fell he searched for bypassed troops and civilians, interrogating in German and identifying SS personnel who posed as innocents; he also used captured uniforms, weapons, and documents to reach further hideouts.

After the fighting he aided Jewish concentration-camp survivors. In Czechoslovakia he found two boys he verified as Jewish, got them into a displaced-persons camp for care, and helped arrange papers and travel through Germany, France, and Italy toward a Haganah ship for Palestine— later regretting that he never learned their names.

== Research notes ==

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== Timeline ==

* 1922 — Born; raised in Vienna, Austria.

* 1937 — Studied at Nitra Yeshiva; later Schneider Yeshiva, London.

* 1940 — Reached the United States with brother Herman.

* 8 March 1943 — Drafted; basic training at Camp Butner, North Carolina.

* 31 January 1944 — Graduated Camp Ritchie Class 14.

* 21 March 1944 — Returned to Europe with 1st Infantry Division.

* 1945 — Aided Jewish child survivors toward Palestine.

</div>

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

== Sources ==

* RB Archive / Fold3-linked biographical narrative for William Kellman

* 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

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 |class_display=14
 |photo=5712343182120889.jpg
+|birth_place=Vienna, Austria
+|division=1st Infantry Division
 }}
 <div class="soldier-lead">
-'''[[Kellman, William (32826847)|William Kellman]]''' (born 1922) was a Ritchie Boy (from Austria; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 14.
+'''[[Kellman, William (32826847)|William Kellman]]''' (born 1922 in Vienna) was a [[Class 14]] Ritchie Boy who interrogated for the 1st Infantry Division and later helped Jewish child survivors reach Palestine.
 </div>
 == Biography ==
-More on him below. William grew up in Vienna, Austria. He went to study in Nitra Yeshiva in Czechoslovakia in 1937, and when Germany annexed Czechoslovakia he was transferred to Schneider Yeshiva in London. When the situation in Europe became grim, and he started learning English and realized he had to get out of Europe. He left with his brother Herman and traveled through Hungary, Belgium and finally made it to the US in 1940. He was drafted March 8, 1943. Did basic training in Camp Butner, North Carolina then was transferred to Military Intelligence School in Camp Ritchie. A graduate of the 14th class on January 31,1944 and was sent back to Europe March 21, 1944. He was attached to the 1st infantry division and was attached to this unit and traveled with them wherever they went. When they captured a German occupied town, it was his responsibility to search the town for troops and civilians left behind. Often the Germans left members of the Hitler Youth and other soldiers left in safe houses. He would interrogate them in German to see what they knew and how the US Army can use that information. Often they would claim to be “good people", Jews, or innocent allies, but with his German looks and German being his native language he was able to determine whether they truly were. Usually they were German SS officers, and he knew the signs. He looked for sabotage, treason, espionage, found out what they knew and had to relay the information quickly to be effective. As the US infantry advanced, he accumulated more knowledge, SS uniforms, weapons, artillery, documents and used them to gain access to other German hideouts. After the war, he helped with the Jewish survivors of the concentration camps. He vividly remembers finding two young Jewish boys in Czechoslovakia. He asked them about Pesach, Yom Kippur to see if they truly were Jews. These two boys were and he got them into a military DP camp to have them deloused, and fed, and got them bicycles and papers to get them to Germany, France, and then Italy to meet the Hagganah ship to take them to Palestine. His big regret was not asking them their names to see what happened to them and where they ended up.
+William Kellman grew up in Vienna, Austria. In 1937 he went to study at the Nitra Yeshiva in Czechoslovakia; after the German annexation he transferred to Schneider Yeshiva in London. With his brother Herman he left Europe via Hungary and Belgium, reaching the United States in 1940.
-Bit.ly/3rvISIP If you happen to be in New York City this week, and want to learn about the Ritchie Boys, you are invited to attend the Tisha B'Av service at the Carlebach Shul on West 79th Street in Manhattan. In addition to the showing of the Ritchie Boys documentary film, there will be a presentation by the sons of two Ritchie Boys, Bernie Lubran (son of RB [[Lubran, Walter H. Details can be found below.
+Drafted on 8 March 1943, Kellman took basic training at Camp Butner, North Carolina, then trained at [[Camp Ritchie]], graduating with [[Class 14]] on 31 January 1944. He returned to Europe on 21 March 1944 attached to the 1st Infantry Division. As towns fell he searched for bypassed troops and civilians, interrogating in German and identifying SS personnel who posed as innocents; he also used captured uniforms, weapons, and documents to reach further hideouts.
+After the fighting he aided Jewish concentration-camp survivors. In Czechoslovakia he found two boys he verified as Jewish, got them into a displaced-persons camp for care, and helped arrange papers and travel through Germany, France, and Italy toward a Haganah ship for Palestine— later regretting that he never learned their names.
 == Research notes ==
@@ Line 103: / Line 107: @@
 | row_source || both
 |}
+== Timeline ==
+<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
+<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
+* 1922 — Born; raised in Vienna, Austria.
+* 1937 — Studied at Nitra Yeshiva; later Schneider Yeshiva, London.
+* 1940 — Reached the United States with brother Herman.
+* 8 March 1943 — Drafted; basic training at Camp Butner, North Carolina.
+* 31 January 1944 — Graduated Camp Ritchie Class 14.
+* 21 March 1944 — Returned to Europe with 1st Infantry Division.
+* 1945 — Aided Jewish child survivors toward Palestine.
+</div>
+</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>
 == Sources ==
+* RB Archive / Fold3-linked biographical narrative for William Kellman
 * 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