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.
Robert A. Potash
| Robert A. Potash | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1921 Boston |
| Died | 2016 |
| Nativity | United States |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 31224431 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Rank at Ritchie | Technician Fourth Grade |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944) |
| Section | 6A |
| Enlisted | Boston, Massachusetts |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Robert A. Potash (1921–2016) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19.
Biography
Potash (1921–2016) was a U.S.-born Jewish Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19 and served overseas as a technician fourth grade. Robert attended Harvard College (AB, History). He attended Harvard College graduate studies. He enlisted from Boston, Massachusetts. After the war he became a historian at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specializing in Argentine history. His memoir Looking Back at My First Eighty Years was published in 2008.
Research notes
- Also Class 18 JapOB
- OB 41
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 95 |
| Nara ASN | 31224431 |
| Nara Name | POTASH ROBERT A |
| Nara State | 13 |
| Nara County | 17 |
| Nara POE | 1306 |
| Nara DOE | 171042 |
| 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 | 13 |
| Nativity.1 | MASSACHUSETTS |
| Nara Year of Birth | 21 |
| Nara Race | 1 |
| Nara Race Description | White citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 992 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 69 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 141 |
| Class_ASN | 31224431 |
| Class_Name | POTASH, Robert A. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- Born 2 January 1921 in Boston.
- 26 January 1945 — Promoted to T/Sgt.
- Assigned to OB Team 41 attached to Tenth Army (SO 20).
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 2016-09-30 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Robert A. Potash for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Potash, Robert A. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: ROBERT A. POTASH.doc)