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.
Paul Leo Kraus
| Paul Leo Kraus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1919 Austria as Pavel Leopold Kraus |
| Died | 22 September 2014 |
| Nativity | Austria |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 33386646 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Rank at Ritchie | Corporal |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 22 (23 August – 21 October 1944) |
| Section | 5C |
| Enlisted | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Teams | IPW 183, MII 501-G |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Paul Leo Kraus (1919 – 22 September 2014) was a Ritchie Boy (from Austria; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 183.
Biography
Paul ___ Worked for Seagram Co. He ___ Worked for Seagram Co. Paul was a cousin by marriage of her father. Both were refugees in China before making it to America. He was sent to the European front as an infantry sergeant and interrogator, where he spent time in battle with Audie Murphy and arrested one of Hitler's favorite officers and Mussolini's rescuer, Otto Skorzeny, who was posing as an enlisted man in a prisoner-of-war camp. He was among the first Allied troops to reach the bunker at Berchtesgaden, where he liberated some of Hitler's best wine, which was stolen later from his jeep.
Research notes
- Also Class 11 5B IPW Ge
Gallery
-
Based on her father’s collection of 400 old letters, Joanie Schirm's book series is the deeply personal account of a daughter’s investigative journey some 70 years later to locate the Czech correspondents and their descendants around the world. -
Based on her father’s collection of 400 old letters, Joanie Schirm's book series is the deeply personal account of a daughter’s investigative journey some 70 years later to locate the Czech correspondents and their descendants around the world.
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 95 |
| Nara ASN | 33386646 |
| Nara Name | KRAUS PAUL L |
| Nara State | 1 |
| Nara County | 7 |
| Nara POE | 3110 |
| Nara DOE | 11242 |
| Nara Grade Alpha | PV0 |
| 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 | 19 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 0 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 105 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 67 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 141 |
| Class_ASN | 33386646 |
| Class_Name | KRAUS, Paul L. |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- Born 21 May 1919 in Austria as Pavel Leopold Kraus.
- 1 December 1942 — Enlisted in U.S. Army at Baltimore as Pvt (ASN: 33386646).
- April 1943 — Became naturalized U.S. citizen.
- June 1945 — Assigned to MI Team 501-G.
- Assigned to IPW Team 183 attached to 3rd Infantry Division.
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 2022-09-25 (1 post)
- Facebook-linked source: amazon.com
- Facebook-linked source: cremation-society.com
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Paul Leo Kraus for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Kraus, Paul Leo for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: PAUL L. KRAUS.docx)