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Kurt R. Jacobs

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Kurt R. Jacobs
Personal details
Born1909
Died1944
NativityGermany
ReligionJewish
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN12207399
RankPrivate
Camp RitchieClass 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944), 20 (19 June – 16 August 1944)
Section5E (19); 5D (20)
EnlistedBuffalo, New York
TeamIPW 154
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.


Kurt R. Jacobs (1909–1944) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19; 20 and served with IPW Team 154.

Biography

"I am currently writing a book on the murders of Murray Zappler and Kurt Jacobs of IPW 150, 106th USA Infantry Division in the Ardennes, and subsequent trial of the accused, Kurt Bruns.

Here Hauptman Curt Bruns told Zappler and Jacobs to stand against the wall. He told 6 German soldiers to execute Zappler and Jacobs a few meters further." A Belgian Facebook friend sent the following information about the tragedy that befell Ritchie Boys Murray Zappler and Kurt Jacobs.

"Zappler and Jacobs were with MIS etousa. The German POW's told Hauptman Bruns that there were 2Jewish men among the Americans." There are at least two Ritchie Boys buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Liege, Belgium, Murray Zappler and Kurt Jacobs (Purple Heart). Stephen Dickerman Stange has sent a request for information related to the incident cited in Bruce Henderson's book, Sons and Soldiers, where two German-Jewish Ritchie Boys became POWs, were identified as being Jewish, and were murdered.

After the other POW's walked away.

Research notes

  • KIA Murdered as POW

Gallery

Technical record

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 35
Nara ASN 12207399
Nara Name JACOBS KURT R
Nara State 23
Nara County 29
Nara POE 2309
Nara DOE 131142
Nara Grade Alpha PVT
Nara Grade Code 8
Nara Branch Alpha SC
Nara Branch Code 90
Branch Signal Corps
Nara Term or Enlistment 0
Term of enlistment Unknown
Defer. Date 3
Nara Source 0
Nara Nativity N1
Nara Year of Birth 9
Nara Race 1
Nara Race Description White citizen
Nara Education 8
Nara Civilian Occupation 46
Nara Marital Status 6
Nara Height (inches) 69
Nara Weight (lbs) 191
Class_ASN 12207399
Class_Name JACOBS, Kurt R.; JACOBS, Kurt
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Sources

  • Camp Ritchie class roster (classes 1–31), merged research file
  • 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 2017-09-03 (1 post)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2019-06-06 (3 posts)
  • Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-03-08 (1 post)