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.
Eric Frank Gerst
| Eric Frank Gerst | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 March 1918 Nuremberg, Germany |
| Died | 21 June 2011 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Protestant |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32416739 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 21 (21 July – 18 September 1944) |
| Team | MII 483-G |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Eric Frank Gerst (23 March 1918 – 21 June 2011) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Protestant) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 21.
Biography
Eric was born March 23, 1918 in Nuremberg, Germany, where he attended textile school in Reutlingen.
He was subsequently able to enlist and trained as a radio operator at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he met and married Dawn Idarius of Chicago.
Eric was then transferred to Camp Ritchie, MD.
Due to the rise of the Nazi party and Hitler's anti-Jewish policies, in 1937 he emigrated to the U.S. Grateful for the refuge given him and his family, he wrote a letter published by the New York Times in 1942 objecting to the Selective Service ruling preventing German refugees from serving in the U.S. For intelligence training and was assigned in 1944 to the 63rd Infantry Division in Europe where he served in France and behind enemy lines in Germany until the end of the war, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant.
And worked in the textile industry at American Bemberg Corp in Tennessee. Determined to help his family escape Germany, Eric's efforts enabled his father Ernst, mother Annie and sister Lizelot to find asylum in the States too. Army and requesting the right to defend his new homeland.
Proud to have fought and also for being able to fit into his army uniform throughout his life, he would often wear the uniform on Veteran's Day.
Eric passed away on June 21 2011.
Research notes
- DEML Also Fr 405
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 93 |
| Class_ASN | 32416739 |
| Class_Name | GERST, Eric F. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
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 2022-12-01 (1 post)