| Ernest Kessler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1920 Vienna, Austria |
| Nativity | Austria |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32611173 |
| Rank | Technician Fifth Grade |
| Rank at Ritchie | Corporal |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 4 (6 January – 6 March 1943) |
| Section | 4 |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Unit / division | 29th Infantry Division |
| Team | IPW 20 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Ernest Kessler (born 1920) was a Ritchie Boy (from Austria) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 4 and served with IPW Team 20. The record lists a final rank of Technician Fifth Grade.
Biography
Born in Vienna, Austria, Kessler fled to the United States, and later joined the US Army. His team served primarily with the 29th Infantry. Maybe there is someone out there from this picture taken in Bremen in 1945. He was sent for intelligence training to Camp Ritchie and studied in the 4th Class. He served with Regimental Headquarters of the 29th Infantry Division ,and participated in the D-Day invasion.
A wartime document identifies Kessler as a technician fifth grade of the 29th Infantry Division on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and records his service with the division through the capture of Saint-Lô on 18 July 1944.
The timeline research also records 2/7/1944 Became member of IPW Team 20 assigned to the 29th Infantry Div. 3/10/1943 Became naturalized citizen at Hagerstown, MD.
Research notes
- USHMM
- The wartime record identifies Kessler as a technician fifth grade of the 29th Infantry Division on D-Day and through the capture of Saint-Lô.
Gallery
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 32611173 |
| Nara Name | KESSLER ERNEST |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 291042 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | BI |
| Nara Branch Code | 0 |
| Branch | Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA |
| Nara Term or Enlistment | 5 |
| Term of enlistment | Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law |
| Defer. Date | 0 |
| Nara Source | 0 |
| Nara Nativity | N2 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 20 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 992 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 69 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 152 |
| Class_ASN | 32611173 |
| Class_Name | Kessler, Ernest |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 7/14/1920 Born Ernst Kessler to Leopold and Erma in Vienna, Austria.
- 10/29/1942 Inducted in Army in NYC as Pvt (ASN: 32611173).
- 1/6/1943 Promoted to Cpl.
- 1/6/1943 Started Class 4.
- 3/17/1943 Promoted to T/5.
- 2/7/1944 Became member of IPW Team 20 assigned to the 29th Infantry Div.
- 1st Lt. Alvin H. Kahling not a Ritchie Boy.
- 2nd Lt. Hans A. Kohler (1913-2006).
- Agent with CIC stationed in Bremen.
- M/Sgt Edward O. Kasper (1921-2009).
- S/Sgt Werner Sondheim (1910-1967).
- T/3 Richard H. Groden* not a Ritchie Boy.
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 2018-05-14 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-07-21 (1 post)
- OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 4386135078075046.jpg
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Ernest Kessler for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Kessler, Ernest for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: ERNEST KESSLER.docx)