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.
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Start here}} | {{DISPLAYTITLE:Start here}} | ||
'''Start here''' is | '''Start here''' is the short path into this wiki — whether you are learning the Ritchie Boys story for the first time, looking for a relative, or ready to help improve a page. | ||
== | == Learn the story == | ||
At [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, the Army’s Military Intelligence Training Center trained soldiers — many of them immigrants and refugees who spoke the enemy’s languages — for interrogation, document work, photo interpretation, and related intelligence duties in World War II. | At [[Camp Ritchie]], Maryland, the Army’s Military Intelligence Training Center trained soldiers — many of them immigrants and refugees who spoke the enemy’s languages — for interrogation, document work, photo interpretation, and related intelligence duties in World War II. | ||
* [[Introduction|Secret Heroes: Camp Ritchie and the Making of The Ritchie Boys]] | * [[Introduction|Secret Heroes: Camp Ritchie and the Making of The Ritchie Boys]] — the overview | ||
* [[Camp Ritchie]] — the camp, curriculum, and who trained there | * [[Camp Ritchie]] — the camp, curriculum, and who trained there | ||
* [[By The Numbers]] — class sizes, specialties, and awards at a glance | * [[By The Numbers]] — class sizes, specialties, and awards at a glance | ||
* [[The Stories]] — curated biographies (try [[The Stories/Guy Stern|Guy Stern]], [[The Stories/The Enemy I Knew/Karl Goldsmith|Karl Goldsmith]], or [[The Stories/The Patricia Crane Story|Patricia Crane]]) | |||
* [[Ritchie Boy Interviews]] · [[Documentaries/Movies]] — hear and see the history | |||
== | == Looking for a relative == | ||
<span id="Looking for a relative"></span> | |||
Three steps: find the page, understand what you are seeing, then add a photo or obituary if you have one. | |||
You do '''not''' need an account to search or to edit biography text. An account is only required to [[Special:Upload|upload a photograph]]. | |||
== | === Find the name === | ||
# On the [[Main Page]], use '''Find a soldier''' — type a surname or Army serial number (ASN), for example <code>Lubran</code> or <code>33668332</code>. | |||
# Or open [[Special:Search]] and search the same way. | |||
# Article titles look like <code>Surname, First (ASN)</code> so people with the same name stay distinct. | |||
# You can also browse by class or letter on [[Contents]], or by [[By birth country|birth country]]. | |||
Open the soldier page when you find a match. If nothing turns up, the person may be missing from the Classes 1–31 roster import, listed under a different spelling, or not yet matched — use [[Contact Us]] or add what you know via [[Contribute]]. | |||
== | === Understand the roster fields === | ||
The right-hand '''infobox''' holds structured facts. The left column holds the opening summary and '''Biography'''. Treat the biography as a draft until you check sources. | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
! What you see !! What it usually means | |||
|- | |||
| '''ASN''' || Army serial number — the ID in the page title | |||
|- | |||
| '''Class''' || Camp Ritchie training class (Classes 1–31 from the museum-digitized roster) | |||
|- | |||
| '''Team''' / IPW || Interrogation or related team assignment when known (for example IPW 141) | |||
|- | |||
| '''Nativity''' / religion / occupation || Roster or enlistment fields; may be incomplete or coded oddly | |||
|- | |||
| '''Research notes''' || Working leads — '''not''' a verified biography. May be wrong or out of date | |||
|- | |||
| Yellow '''Record status: unconfirmed''' || The class-roster match is not high confidence — check before treating class fields as settled | |||
|} | |||
Two different source streams feed many pages: the Classes 1–31 roster (digitized by Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. / The Ritchie History Museum from NARA records) and research compiled by [[Dan Gross Memorial|Dan Gross]] and others. Full explanation: [[About the data]]. | |||
=== Add a photo or obituary === | |||
'''Photograph:''' [[Special:CreateAccount|Create an account]] or [[Special:UserLogin|log in]], open the soldier’s page → '''Gallery''' → '''Contribute files''' (or [[Special:Upload]]). More detail: [[Contribute#Photographs_and_documents]]. | |||
'''Obituary, clipping, or family recollection:''' you can edit without an account — open the soldier page → '''Edit''' (or '''Edit biography'''). Add a short third-person paragraph under '''Biography''', with the source under '''Sources'''. Prefer facts about the soldier over event announcements or first-person Facebook framing. | |||
Full editor guide: [[Contribute]]. Questions: [[Contact Us]] · [[FAQ]]. | |||
== Help the record == | |||
* [[Contribute]] — edit text without an account; upload photos when logged in | * [[Contribute]] — edit text without an account; upload photos when logged in | ||
* [[Contribute documents]] — OCR a roster scan for review | * [[Contribute documents]] — OCR a roster scan for review | ||
* [[About the data]] — what is verified vs still a lead | * [[About the data]] — what is verified vs still a lead | ||
* [[Themes]] · [[By specialty]] · [[:Category:Classes|Classes]] — other ways into the roster | |||
[[Category:Ritchie Boys Wiki]] | [[Category:Ritchie Boys Wiki]] | ||
Revision as of 19:16, 13 September 2026
Start here is the short path into this wiki — whether you are learning the Ritchie Boys story for the first time, looking for a relative, or ready to help improve a page.
Learn the story
At Camp Ritchie, Maryland, the Army’s Military Intelligence Training Center trained soldiers — many of them immigrants and refugees who spoke the enemy’s languages — for interrogation, document work, photo interpretation, and related intelligence duties in World War II.
- Secret Heroes: Camp Ritchie and the Making of The Ritchie Boys — the overview
- Camp Ritchie — the camp, curriculum, and who trained there
- By The Numbers — class sizes, specialties, and awards at a glance
- The Stories — curated biographies (try Guy Stern, Karl Goldsmith, or Patricia Crane)
- Ritchie Boy Interviews · Documentaries/Movies — hear and see the history
Looking for a relative
Three steps: find the page, understand what you are seeing, then add a photo or obituary if you have one.
You do not need an account to search or to edit biography text. An account is only required to upload a photograph.
Find the name
- On the Main Page, use Find a soldier — type a surname or Army serial number (ASN), for example
Lubranor33668332. - Or open Special:Search and search the same way.
- Article titles look like
Surname, First (ASN)so people with the same name stay distinct. - You can also browse by class or letter on Contents, or by birth country.
Open the soldier page when you find a match. If nothing turns up, the person may be missing from the Classes 1–31 roster import, listed under a different spelling, or not yet matched — use Contact Us or add what you know via Contribute.
Understand the roster fields
The right-hand infobox holds structured facts. The left column holds the opening summary and Biography. Treat the biography as a draft until you check sources.
| What you see | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| ASN | Army serial number — the ID in the page title |
| Class | Camp Ritchie training class (Classes 1–31 from the museum-digitized roster) |
| Team / IPW | Interrogation or related team assignment when known (for example IPW 141) |
| Nativity / religion / occupation | Roster or enlistment fields; may be incomplete or coded oddly |
| Research notes | Working leads — not a verified biography. May be wrong or out of date |
| Yellow Record status: unconfirmed | The class-roster match is not high confidence — check before treating class fields as settled |
Two different source streams feed many pages: the Classes 1–31 roster (digitized by Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. / The Ritchie History Museum from NARA records) and research compiled by Dan Gross and others. Full explanation: About the data.
Add a photo or obituary
Photograph: Create an account or log in, open the soldier’s page → Gallery → Contribute files (or Special:Upload). More detail: Contribute#Photographs_and_documents.
Obituary, clipping, or family recollection: you can edit without an account — open the soldier page → Edit (or Edit biography). Add a short third-person paragraph under Biography, with the source under Sources. Prefer facts about the soldier over event announcements or first-person Facebook framing.
Full editor guide: Contribute. Questions: Contact Us · FAQ.
Help the record
- Contribute — edit text without an account; upload photos when logged in
- Contribute documents — OCR a roster scan for review
- About the data — what is verified vs still a lead
- Themes · By specialty · Classes — other ways into the roster