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William R. Malsh

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William R. Malsh
Personal details
Birth nameWilliam R. Walsh
Born1913
Died1994
NativityGermany
ReligionJewish
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
Arm / serviceQuartermaster Corps
ASN01596715
RankFirst Lieutenant
Rank at RitchieSecond Lieutenant
Camp RitchieClass 16 (6 February – 5 April 1944)
Section5C
TeamsIPW 69, MII 439-G
Teammates
Team — IPW 69
Team — MII 439-G
These are other soldiers listed on the same team roster. People moved between teams; overlapping service dates are not always documented.
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.


William R. Malsh was a U.S. Army first lieutenant, interrogator with IPW Team 69, and OIC of MII Team 439-G (XX Corps); on 14 April 1945 he signed the Corps G-2 annex on Buchenwald.

Biography[edit | edit source]

William R. Malsh served as a second lieutenant and interrogator with IPW Team 69 and MII 439-G. MITC Special Orders No. 103 (29 April 1944) lists him (as “William R. Walsh,” ASN 01596715) with IPW Team 69 under Alois J. Liethen, alongside document examiner Kurt Kugelmann and teammates Kurt E. Wallach, Siegfried Bornstein, and Walter D. Marx. The order relieved the team from Camp Ritchie and directed them to Camp Shanks, New York, on 2 May 1944. On 22 May 1944, Replacement Depot No. 2 Special Orders No. 125 assigned IPW Team 69 to Headquarters, MIS, ETOUSA, for duty with FID (APO 887). On 23 May 1944, Hq MIS ETOUSA Special Orders No. 135 placed IPW Team 69 on detached service with FID (his name is lined through on that extract). On 2 June 1944, Hq MIS ETOUSA Special Orders No. 145 attached IPW Team 69 to Third U.S. Army for duty with Hq XX Corps. On 7 December 1944 he was listed as a first lieutenant and assigned with Kurt Kugelmann to MII Team 439-G (SO F-84). As officer in charge of MII Team 439-G with XX Corps he signed team status reports from late December 1944 through March 1945, forwarded civilian-source intelligence on Rheingönheim (21 January 1945), and on 9 April 1945 was named with Kurt Kugelmann in an XX Corps Signal Officer commendation for locating enemy telephone and cable facilities. In April 1945 XX Corps G-2 and the Corps commander endorsed further recognition for him and MII Team 439-G; he remained officer in charge through at least the 31 May 1945 team status report. On 14 April 1945, as OIC of MII Team 439-G at Headquarters XX Corps, Malsh signed Annex No. 2 to G-2 Periodic Report No. 248, a SECRET three-page report on Concentration Camp Buchenwald based on prisoner-committee information gathered as U.S. Forces reached the Weimar area.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

  • SO 103 spelling WALSH; canonical roster surname Malsh (ASN 01596715).
  • SO 135 matching note: SO spelling Walsh; lined through on SO 135.
  • On Hq MIS ETOUSA SO 135 (23 May 1944) this name is lined through on the IPW 69 roster (still listed on prior SO 125).
  • SO 145 matching note: SO spelling Walsh; listed again after SO 135 strike-through.
  • SO F-84 middle initial H.; promoted to 1st Lt by this order.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • MITC SO 103 p.2 — IPW 69 roster (Malsh listed as Walsh).
    MITC SO 103 p.2 — IPW 69 roster (Malsh listed as Walsh).
  • RD #2 SO #125 p.2 — IPW Team 69 → Hq MIS / FID.
    RD #2 SO #125 p.2 — IPW Team 69 → Hq MIS / FID.
  • Hq MIS ETOUSA SO 135 p.1 — IPW Team 69 (DS with FID).
    Hq MIS ETOUSA SO 135 p.1 — IPW Team 69 (DS with FID).
  • Hq MIS ETOUSA SO 145 p.1 — IPW Team 69 → Hq XX Corps.
    Hq MIS ETOUSA SO 145 p.1 — IPW Team 69 → Hq XX Corps.
  • SO F-84 — MII 439-G (Malsh OIC with Kugelmann).
    SO F-84 — MII 439-G (Malsh OIC with Kugelmann).
  • MII 439-G status report signed as OIC, 31 Dec 1944.
    MII 439-G status report signed as OIC, 31 Dec 1944.
  • XX Corps Signal commendation naming Malsh (as Walsh) and Kugelmann.
    XX Corps Signal commendation naming Malsh (as Walsh) and Kugelmann.
  • Rheingönheim report signed Walsh / Malsh, 21 Jan 1945.
    Rheingönheim report signed Walsh / Malsh, 21 Jan 1945.
  • G-2 endorsement recommending recognition for Malsh / MII 439-G.
    G-2 endorsement recommending recognition for Malsh / MII 439-G.
  • CG Walker commendation for MII 439-G.
    CG Walker commendation for MII 439-G.
  • May 1945 team status — Malsh still OIC.
    May 1945 team status — Malsh still OIC.
  • MII 439-G equipment turn-in request + 1st Ind (25 Jul / 7 Aug 1945).
    MII 439-G equipment turn-in request + 1st Ind (25 Jul / 7 Aug 1945).
  • MIS Forward Supply (Brauth) Tally In reply.
    MIS Forward Supply (Brauth) Tally In reply.
  • SO F-84 page 1 EXTRACT, 7 Dec 1944 (“MII 439 G over”).
    SO F-84 page 1 EXTRACT, 7 Dec 1944 (“MII 439 G over”).
  • Buchenwald annex p.1 — HQ XX Corps / MII Team 439-G, 14 Apr 1945.
    Buchenwald annex p.1 — HQ XX Corps / MII Team 439-G, 14 Apr 1945.
  • Buchenwald annex p.2.
    Buchenwald annex p.2.
  • Buchenwald annex p.3 — signed Malsh, OIC, 439-G.
    Buchenwald annex p.3 — signed Malsh, OIC, 439-G.
  • Same G-2 package: Periodic Report 248 Annex 1 (Curtis), 14 Apr 1945.
    Same G-2 package: Periodic Report 248 Annex 1 (Curtis), 14 Apr 1945.

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 81
Class_ASN 596715
Class_Name MALSH, William R.
match_method asn_partial_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 29 April 1944 — MITC SO 103: 2d Lt, Interrogator, IPW Team 69 (order spelling Walsh); WP Camp Shanks 2 May 1944.
  • 22 May 1944 — Replacement Depot No. 2 SO #125: Second Lieutenant with IPW Team 69; assigned Hq MIS ETOUSA for duty with FID; proceed APO 887.
  • 23 May 1944 — Hq MIS ETOUSA SO 135: Second Lieutenant on IPW Team 69; placed on DS with FID (eff. 22 May 1944) — name lined through on the order extract.
  • 2 June 1944 — Hq MIS ETOUSA SO 145: IPW Team 69 relieved from FID DS; attached Third U.S. Army for duty with Hq XX Corps (proceed ~5 June 1944).
  • 7 December 1944 — SO F-84: 1st Lt, assigned MII Team 439-G (12th Army Group / XX Corps duty) with Kugelmann.
  • 8 December 1944 — OIC, MII Team 439-G activated (XX Corps / Third Army).
  • 21 January 1945 — Signs Rheingönheim factory/AA intelligence report (as Walsh).
  • 9 April 1945 — Commended by XX Corps Signal Officer (with Tech/Sgt Kugelmann / team).
  • 12 April 1945 — XX Corps G-2 (Curtis) recommends commendation for Malsh and MII 439-G.
  • 30 April 1945 — Lt. Gen. Walton H. Walker adds commendation for MII 439-G.
  • 31 May 1945 — Still OIC, MII 439-G (May team status report).
  • 25 July 1945 — MII Team 439-G requests turn-in of CP tent, decon apparatus, camouflage net, and gas masks (no longer needed for operations).
  • 7 August 1945 — MIS Forward 1st Ind (Baier) / Supply Office (Brauth): cannot authorize Corps Supply turn-in; Tally In receipts accepted at final clearing.
  • 14 April 1945 — Signs Annex No. 2 to XX Corps G-2 Periodic Report No. 248 (Concentration Camp Buchenwald) as OIC, MII Team 439-G.

Sources[edit | edit source]

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