| Harry A Jacobs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Jakob Helmut |
| Born | 1924 Mannheim, Germany |
| Died | 2018 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 33743685 |
| Rank | Master Sergeant |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 12 (27 September – 25 November 1943) |
| Section | 5B |
| Enlisted | Ft Myer, Virginia |
| Specialty | Interrogation of Prisoners of War (IPW); Order of Battle (OB) |
| Unit / division | 4th Armored Division (OB Team 24) |
|
| Bronze Star Medal |
- French Croix de Guerre
- Bronze Star Medal with V-device
- French Legion of Honor
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Harry A. Jacobs (1924–2018) was a Ritchie Boy who trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 12 and Class 10 and served in military intelligence with the 4th Armored Division.
Biography
Harry A. Jacobs, born Helmut Jakob, was born in Mannheim, Germany, and emigrated to the United States during the Nazi period. He enlisted at Fort Myer, Virginia, on June 23, 1943, as a private (ASN 33743685). He trained at Camp Ritchie in IPW-Ge Class 12 and completed OB Class 10, qualifying as an Order of Battle analyst. He was promoted to master sergeant in March 1944 and assigned to SHAEF military intelligence in London.
Jacobs served with OB Team 24 of the 4th Armored Division and entered combat in July 1944. The timeline places his wartime service in the Ardennes, the Battle of the Bulge, Bastogne, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. He was later attached to CIC Detachment 504 and returned to the United States in late 1945. His documented honors include the Bronze Star Medal, the French Croix de Guerre, a Bronze Star Medal with V-device, and the French Legion of Honor. Jacobs also wrote military-intelligence novels, including The Pentagon Brank and The Raid Toward Prague: May 1945.
The timeline research also records 1938-1940 Graduated Eastern High School in Washington, DC. 2/1947 BS Degree, Foreign Service, Georgetown University. 6/1952 MA Degree, Public Administration, American University. 11/2/43 Naturalized at Hagerstown, MD (5827246). Harry Jacobs died several months after seeing the publication of his book.
Gallery
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In the photo to the left, Bruce Henderson (left) is with Ritchie Boy Gideon Kantor (right). In the photo on the right, Dan Gross, Camp Ritchie's (Unofficial) Historian (left) is with Ritchie Boy Harry Jacobs (right). -
In the photo to the left, Bruce Henderson (left) is with Ritchie Boy Gideon Kantor (right). In the photo on the right, Dan Gross, Camp Ritchie's (Unofficial) Historian (left) is with Ritchie Boy Harry Jacobs (right). -
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Pictured below, they are (left to right): Harry Jacobs, Gideon Kantor, and Alfred Shehab -
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Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 94 |
| Nara ASN | 33743685 |
| Nara Name | JACOBS HARRY A |
| Nara State | 34 |
| Nara County | 1 |
| Nara POE | 3347 |
| Nara DOE | 230643 |
| 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 | 101 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 4 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 0 |
| Class_ASN | 33743685 |
| Class_Name | JACOB, Helmut Albert; JAKOB, Helmut A. |
| match_method | pass2_asn_last |
| row_source | both |
Research notes
- Also Class 10 GerOB
- Camp Sharpe
- OB 24
Timeline
- 23 June 1943 — Enlisted at Fort Myer, Virginia, as a private (ASN 33743685).
- 1943–1944 — Trained in IPW-Ge Class 12 and completed OB Class 10 as an Order of Battle analyst.
- March 1944 — Promoted to master sergeant and prepared for overseas deployment.
- 17 April 1944 — Reported to SHAEF military intelligence in London.
- 1944–1945 — Served with OB Team 24, attached to the 4th Armored Division, and saw combat in France, the Ardennes, the Battle of the Bulge, Germany, and Czechoslovakia.
- June 1945 — Attached to CIC Detachment 504.
- 1945 — Returned to the United States after duty in Europe.
- 30 October 1945 — Awarded the French Croix de Guerre.
- 26 August 1996 — Awarded the Bronze Star Medal with V-device by the Department of the Army.
- 4 March 2015 — Awarded the French Legion of Honor at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C.
- 6/23/1943 Enlisted as Pvt (ASN 33743685) at Fort Myer, VA.
- 9/27/1943 Started Class 12 (IPW-Ge).
- 2/17/44 Completed Class 10 (OB), qualified as Order of Battle Analyst.
- 3/13/44 Alerted for overseas deployment, promoted to M/Sgt.
- 4/6/44 Ordered to Camp Kilmer for shipment to ETO as part of 3-man OB Team together with 2nd Lt. (later Capt) Alfred Maul (1916-1975) and S/Sgt Alfred Launer (1922-2001).
- 4/17/1944 Reported and assigned to SHAEF (MIS) in London.
- Assigned to new OB Team 24 for duty with 4th Armored Division (3rd Army) along with 2nd Lt. Alfred Maul in charge. (S/Sgt Launer transferred from OB Team 24 to OB Team 4 on 5/13/44).
- 7/4/44 Pvt Harry B. Levine (1906-1993) assigned to OB 24 from OB 33 (78th Infantry Div).
- 7/11/44 4th Armored (“Spearhead”) Division landed at Utah Beach. Entered combat on 7/17/44.
- 7/11/44 4th Armored Division landed at Utah Beach. Entered combat on 7/17/44.
- 8/17/44 Cpl Levine was hurt in jeep accident and evacuated to a hospital.
- 10/30/1945 Awarded French Croix de Guerre.
- 8/26/1996 Awarded Bronze Star Medal with V-device by Department of the Army.
- 8/26/1996 Awarded Bronze Star Medal with V-device by Department of the.
- 3/4/2015 Awarded French Legion of Honor at French Embassy, Wash, DC.
- 3/4/2015 Awarded French Legion of Honor at French Embassy, Washington DC.
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 2018-01-26 (2 posts)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-02-02 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-04-16 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-10-05 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2018-11-26 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-08-06 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Harry A Jacobs for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 2 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Jacobs, Harry A for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 2 source files: HARRY JACOBS - 16.doc, HARRY JACOBS.doc)