| Maximilian Lerner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 September 1924 Vienna, Austria |
| Died | 10 September 2022 Manhattan, New York City |
| Nativity | Austria |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32908439 |
| Rank | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 11 (25 August – 23 October 1943) |
| Section | 5C |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Maximilian Lerner (1924–2022) was a Ritchie Boy (from Austria; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11.
Biography edit
Maximilian Lerner (September 4, 1924 – September 10, 2022) was an Austrian-born American known for his work in the Military Intelligence Service during World War II. Lerner was born in Vienna, Austria on September 4, 1924, the son of a furrier and a homemaker. Born in Vienna, Austria, Max, his parents Isak and Bertha, and sister Susi, fled the Nazis in May 1938, arriving in the United States in 1941.
RB LERNER, who was born in Austria and served in the Counter Intelligence Corps of the OSS, is 96. Max Lerner followed the same footsteps as Glenn's Father's family - being born in Vienna, Austria, fleeing to United States after the Anschluss, joining the US Army, training together at Camp Ritchie, and serving heroically in the European Theater of Operations in WWII. Army on his 18th birthday and became an American citizen soon after.
The family moved on to Manhattan, New York in 1941, where he attended high school at night while he worked during the day. Lerner learned French while he attended high school in France. After returning from the war, Lerner attended school on the G.I.
Maximilian Lerner immigrated from Vienna to New York in 1941, then enlisted in the US Army and went back to Europe as an American soldier in 1944. After the breakout in Normandy, he served as liaison with Free French Forces and was commissioned as Special Agent with the CIC. Lerner enlisted in the U.S.
Ritchie Boy Maximilian Lerner arrived at Camp Ritchie the same month as Glenn Godart's father in 1943. After basic training, he was sent to Camp Ritchie, a training center for military intelligence. He was assigned to Camp Ritchie (part of the Ritchie Boys) for training as a counterintelligence officer.
His book, The Improbable Spy, was published in 2012, and I finished reading it today. He since then, I reviewed a copy of his published memoirs “Flight and Return” (2013) and now know that he underwent Ranger training for 2 months at Camp Sharpe and was assigned to a Replacement Depot. He was one of the Ritchie Boys interviewed on the 60 Minutes program on January 2, 2022.
Maximilian worked as shipping clerk. When he arrived in Ireland, he joined the OSS but the Army assigned him to be an interpreter at HQ in London. He at war’s end, he served as an OSS officer in Bavaria (Bad Crailsheim) and as a Counterintelligence Officer in Wiesbaden.
He started a horticultural products business and raised a family. Lerner was one of four Ritchie Boys to be interviewed by 60 Minutes for his role in military intelligence during World War II. He wrote a memoir and two spy novels.
He was recruited into the Office of Strategic Services as a special agent for secret missions in Germany. He also served in Europe overseeing interrogations and review of captured German documents. She will guide the conversation with our veterans about this fascinating story.
From his obituary - "His was truly an American story.
As part of his service he gathered intelligence and arrested war criminals during the first stages of deNazification." He died on September 10, 2022, in Manhattan.
Research notes edit
- Camp Sharpe (2 mos)
- OSS
- CIC
Gallery edit
Technical record edit
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 32908439 |
| Nara Name | LERNER MAXIMILIAN |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 170543 |
| 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 | N2 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 24 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 134 |
| Nara Marital Status | 1 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 48 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 148 |
| Class_ASN | 32908439 |
| Class_Name | LERNER, Maximilian |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline edit
- Born 4 September 1924 in Austria of Jewish parents.
- 23 September 1943 — Naturalized as U.S. citizen in Hagerstown (Certificate No.5830629).
- 23 October 1943 — Graduated with Class 11 and classified as Asst Interrogator.
- July 1943 — Transferred to Camp Ritchie; assigned to Class 11 (IPW-Ge).
- At war’s end, he served as an OSS officer in Bavaria (Bad Crailsheim) and as a Counterintelligence Officer in Wiesbaden. One of the prisoners he encountered was prominent Nazi Julius Streicher.
Sources edit
- Wikipedia: Maximilian Lerner
- 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 2020-02-09 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-03-23 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-04-01 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2020-05-29 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-09-24 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-12-22 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-09-13 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-09-18 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-09-19 (1 post)
- Facebook-linked source: bit.ly
- Facebook-linked source: Veterans interview / article
- Facebook-linked source: legcy.co
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Maximilian Lerner for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Lerner, Maximilian for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: MAXIMILIAN LERNER (2021).doc)