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Eric Hess
| Eric Hess | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 October 1924 Germany |
| Died | 15 March 2022 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32899350 |
| Rank | Technician Third Grade |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 11 (25 August – 23 October 1943) |
| Section | 5D |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Team | IPW 71 |
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.
Eric Hess (1924–2022) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11 and served with IPW Team 71.
Biography
Eric Hess (28 October 1924 – 15 March 2022) was a German-born Jewish Ritchie Boy who emigrated to the United States and enlisted in the U.S. Army on 29 April 1943. He trained at Camp Ritchie in class 11 (25 August–23 October 1943), arrived in England on 10 May 1944, and served overseas with IPW Team 71, attached to the 28th Infantry Division. Teammates included 2nd Lt. Zachary Metz, Ernest Fischl, Robert G. Gould, and Gerald Schlesinger. He died in Lakewood, New Jersey, at age 97.
Research notes
- 10/28/1924-A
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Nara ASN | 32899350 |
| Nara Name | HESS ERIC |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 61 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 290443 |
| 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 | N1 |
| Nara Year of Birth | 24 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 5 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 621 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 88 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 103 |
| Class_ASN | 32899350 |
| Class_Name | HESS, Eric |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 10/28/1924 Born in Germany. Religion: Jewish. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 6)
- 4/29/1943 Joined Army at NYC as Pvt (32899350). (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 12)
- 8/25/1943 Started Class 11 (German). (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 17)
- Assigned to IPW Team 71 attached to the 28th Infantry Division Personnel of IPW 71:. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 26)
- Lt. Ernest Fischl (1911-1954) Class 8. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 28)
- Lt. Zachary Metz (1910-1995) Class 16. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 27)
- S/Sgt Hans Adler (1917- ? ) Class 9. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 30)
- S/Sgt Hans Adler (1917- ? ) Class 9. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 30)
- T/3 Gerald Schlesinger (1920-2005) Class 11. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 31)
- T/5 Eric Hess (1924- A ) Class 11. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 32)
- T/Sgt Robert Gould (1915-1945) Class 11. (Dan Gross private research timeline; ERIC HESS (2021).docx, page unknown; paragraph 29)
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 2021-06-21 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2022-03-21 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Eric Hess for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)