Fields, Fred D. (32878282): Difference between revisions

Line 30:

'''Fred D. Fields''' (born 1924) was a ~~Ritchie Boy (~~born ~~Siegfried Dingfelder; from Germany;~~ Jewish~~) who trained at~~ Camp Ritchie ~~in class 10 and served~~ with IPW Team 69 and ~~IPW (interrogation of prisoners of war)~~.

'''Fred D. Fields''', born Siegfried Dingfelder around 1924, was a German-born Jewish refugee and Camp Ritchie interrogator. Serving with the 69th IPW Team under XX Corps, he followed the campaign from Metz through Remagen and into Germany.

</div>

== Biography ==

Fred Fields ~~recorded an interview~~ with ~~American Veterans Center shortly before~~ his ~~passing~~ in ~~March 2023~~. They ~~have released~~ his ~~interview which I have linked below~~. Fred Fields ~~was~~ a ~~member~~ of IPW 69. ~~Linked is his entire interview~~, ~~where~~ he ~~discusses everything from~~ his ~~upbringing~~ in ~~Germany~~, his ~~family~~, ~~fleeing~~ Germany to England, ~~making his way to America, the US~~ Army, Camp Ritchie, IPW 69 ~~and more. I hope everyone who is interested gives it a listen. https://youtu~~.~~be/BUJp6Ryl3Sg~~

Fred D. Fields was born Siegfried Dingfelder around 1924 in Uehlfeld, Germany. He grew up in a Jewish family as Nazi persecution transformed daily life in the small Franconian community. During Kristallnacht his father was arrested and imprisoned at Dachau, making the danger to the family unmistakable.

Dingfelder escaped first to England and then reached the United States with his family in May 1940. They settled in Brooklyn, where the family operated a bakery and rebuilt a livelihood. He worked there before being drafted at about nineteen, only a few years after fleeing the country against which he would now serve.

The Army recognized his fluent German and direct knowledge of German life and sent him to Camp Ritchie for prisoner-interrogation training. Before shipping overseas he became an American citizen and changed his name to Fred Fields. The change protected a German-born soldier headed into combat while also marking his new national identity.

Fields joined the 69th Interrogation of Prisoners of War Team near Metz. Serving under XX Corps, he worked with fellow interrogators including Liethen, Wallach, and Bornstein. Their questioning of prisoners supplied information on enemy units, weapons, morale, and movements as American forces pushed through Luxembourg and Belgium and crossed the Rhine after the breakthrough at Remagen.

After Buchenwald had been liberated, Fields entered the concentration camp and confronted the consequences of the regime his family had escaped. He also returned to Uehlfeld with his cousin Henry Schwab of the 57th IPW Team, bringing two former refugees back in American uniform. By V-E Day, Fields was at Tutzing in Bavaria.

Fields returned to New York after the war. Although he had worked in the family bakery before military service, his later trade was butchering. He eventually retired as a butcher and lived in Riverdale, New York.

Shortly before his death in March 2023, Fred D. Fields recorded an interview with the American Veterans Center about his upbringing in Germany, escape via England, U.S. Army service, Camp Ritchie, and IPW Team 69 (linked in Sources).

== Research notes ==

Line 107:

Line 119:

* 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 2024-06-17 (1 post)

* Facebook-linked source: [https://youtu.be/BUJp6Ryl3Sg YouTube interview]

* [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Fred Fields|The Stories essay]]

* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2024-06-17 (1 post)

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 <div class="soldier-lead">
-'''Fred D. Fields''' (born 1924) was a Ritchie Boy (born Siegfried Dingfelder; from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 10 and served with IPW Team 69 and IPW (interrogation of prisoners of war).
+'''Fred D. Fields''', born Siegfried Dingfelder around 1924, was a German-born Jewish refugee and Camp Ritchie interrogator. Serving with the 69th IPW Team under XX Corps, he followed the campaign from Metz through Remagen and into Germany.
 </div>
 == Biography ==
-Fred Fields recorded an interview with American Veterans Center shortly before his passing in March 2023. They have released his interview which I have linked below. Fred Fields was a member of IPW 69. Linked is his entire interview, where he discusses everything from his upbringing in Germany, his family, fleeing Germany to England, making his way to America, the US Army, Camp Ritchie, IPW 69 and more. I hope everyone who is interested gives it a listen. https://youtu.be/BUJp6Ryl3Sg
+Fred D. Fields was born Siegfried Dingfelder around 1924 in Uehlfeld, Germany. He grew up in a Jewish family as Nazi persecution transformed daily life in the small Franconian community. During Kristallnacht his father was arrested and imprisoned at Dachau, making the danger to the family unmistakable.
+Dingfelder escaped first to England and then reached the United States with his family in May 1940. They settled in Brooklyn, where the family operated a bakery and rebuilt a livelihood. He worked there before being drafted at about nineteen, only a few years after fleeing the country against which he would now serve.
+The Army recognized his fluent German and direct knowledge of German life and sent him to Camp Ritchie for prisoner-interrogation training. Before shipping overseas he became an American citizen and changed his name to Fred Fields. The change protected a German-born soldier headed into combat while also marking his new national identity.
+Fields joined the 69th Interrogation of Prisoners of War Team near Metz. Serving under XX Corps, he worked with fellow interrogators including Liethen, Wallach, and Bornstein. Their questioning of prisoners supplied information on enemy units, weapons, morale, and movements as American forces pushed through Luxembourg and Belgium and crossed the Rhine after the breakthrough at Remagen.
+After Buchenwald had been liberated, Fields entered the concentration camp and confronted the consequences of the regime his family had escaped. He also returned to Uehlfeld with his cousin Henry Schwab of the 57th IPW Team, bringing two former refugees back in American uniform. By V-E Day, Fields was at Tutzing in Bavaria.
+Fields returned to New York after the war. Although he had worked in the family bakery before military service, his later trade was butchering. He eventually retired as a butcher and lived in Riverdale, New York.
+Shortly before his death in March 2023, Fred D. Fields recorded an interview with the American Veterans Center about his upbringing in Germany, escape via England, U.S. Army service, Camp Ritchie, and IPW Team 69 (linked in Sources).
 == Research notes ==
@@ Line 107: / Line 119: @@
 * 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 2024-06-17 (1 post)
+* Facebook-linked source: [https://youtu.be/BUJp6Ryl3Sg YouTube interview]
 * [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Fred Fields|The Stories essay]]
-* Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2024-06-17 (1 post)