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Harry A Jacobs
| Harry A Jacobs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Jakob Helmut |
| Born | 1924 Mannheim, Germany |
| Died | 2018 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 33743685 |
| Rank | Master Sergeant |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 12 (27 September – 25 November 1943) |
| Section | 5B |
| Enlisted | Ft Myer, Virginia |
| Specialty | Interrogation of Prisoners of War (IPW); Order of Battle (OB) |
| Unit / division | 4th Armored Division (OB Team 24) |
Awards and honors
|
| Bronze Star Medal |
- French Croix de Guerre
- Bronze Star Medal with V-device
- French Legion of Honor
Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.
Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Harry A. Jacobs (1924–2018) was a Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 12 and Class 10 and served in military intelligence with the 4th Armored Division.
Biography
From 1938 to 1940, Harry graduated Eastern High School in Washington, DC. Harry Jacobs died several months after seeing the publication of his book. Jacobs, born Helmut Jakob, was born in Mannheim, Germany, and emigrated to the United States during the Nazi period. He enlisted at Fort Myer, Virginia, on June 23, 1943, as a private (ASN 33743685). He trained at Camp Ritchie in IPW-Ge Class 12 and completed OB Class 10, qualifying as an Order of Battle analyst. He was promoted to master sergeant in March 1944 and assigned to SHAEF military intelligence in London. Jacobs served with OB Team 24 of the 4th Armored Division and entered combat in July 1944. He was later attached to CIC Detachment 504 and returned to the United States in late 1945.
Gallery
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In the photo to the left, Bruce Henderson (left) is with Ritchie Boy Gideon Kantor (right). In the photo on the right, Dan Gross, Camp Ritchie's (Unofficial) Historian (left) is with Ritchie Boy Harry Jacobs (right). -
In the photo to the left, Bruce Henderson (left) is with Ritchie Boy Gideon Kantor (right). In the photo on the right, Dan Gross, Camp Ritchie's (Unofficial) Historian (left) is with Ritchie Boy Harry Jacobs (right). -
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Pictured below, they are (left to right): Harry Jacobs, Gideon Kantor, and Alfred Shehab -
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Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 94 |
| Nara ASN | 33743685 |
| Nara Name | JACOBS HARRY A |
| Nara State | 34 |
| Nara County | 1 |
| Nara POE | 3347 |
| Nara DOE | 230643 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PVT |
| Nara Grade Code | 8 |
| Nara Branch Alpha | NO |
| Nara Branch Code | 2 |
| Branch | No branch assignment |
| 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 | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 24 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 5 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 101 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 4 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 0 |
| Class_ASN | 33743685 |
| Class_Name | JACOB, Helmut Albert; JAKOB, Helmut A. |
| match_method | pass2_asn_last |
| row_source | both |
Research notes
- Also Class 10 GerOB
- Camp Sharpe
- OB 24
Timeline
- 2 November 1943 — Naturalized at Hagerstown, MD (5827246).
- 11 July 1944 — 4th Armored (“Spearhead”) Division landed at Utah Beach. Entered combat on 17 July 1944.
- 11 July 1944 — 4th Armored Division landed at Utah Beach. Entered combat on 17 July 1944.
- 17 April 1944 — Reported and assigned to SHAEF (MIS) in London.
- 4 July 1944 — Pvt Harry B. Levine (1906-1993) assigned to OB 24 from OB 33 (78th Infantry Div).
- Assigned to new OB Team 24 for duty with 4th Armored Division (3rd Army) along with 2nd Lt. Alfred Maul in charge. (S/Sgt Launer transferred from OB Team 24 to OB Team 4 on 13 May 1944).
- 30 October 1945 — Awarded French Croix de Guerre.
- November 1945 — Detailed to 79th Infantry Division for shipment back to the U. S.
- 26 August 1996 — Awarded Bronze Star Medal with V-device by Department of the Army.
- 26 August 1996 — Awarded Bronze Star Medal with V-device by Department of the.
- 4 March 2015 — Awarded French Legion of Honor at French Embassy, Wash, DC.
- 4 March 2015 — Awarded French Legion of Honor at French Embassy, Washington DC.
- 6/45 Attached to CIC Detachment 504.
- 7/44 4th Armored Division involved in action in the Ardennes, Battle.
- 7/44 to 5/45 4th Armored Division involved in action in the Ardennes, Battle of the Bulge, Bastogne, through Germany and into Czechoslovakia.
- Assigned to new OB Team 24 for duty with 4th Armored Division (3rd Army) along with 2nd Lt. Alfred Maul in charge.
- Awarded Bronze Star Medal at Landshut by 4th Armored Division.
- Group of soldiers from the 4th Armored Division.
- Harry Jacobs died several months after seeing the publication of his book.
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 2018-01-26 (2 posts)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-02-02 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-04-16 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-10-05 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-11-26 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-08-06 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Harry A Jacobs for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Jacobs, Harry A for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: HARRY JACOBS - 16.doc, HARRY JACOBS.doc)