Soft launch: Soldier biographies and research notes vary in completeness. Prefer class-roster, NARA, newspapers, and other cited sources for contested facts — treat Research notes as leads, not settled history. Anyone can correct a page; contact us with questions.
Murray Zappler
| Murray Zappler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1924 Germany |
| Died | 1944 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 32824267 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Rank at Ritchie | Private First Class |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 19 (16 May – 13 July 1944) |
| Section | 5D |
| Enlisted | New York City, New York |
| Team | IPW 154 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Murray Zappler (1924–1944) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 19 and served with IPW Team 154.
Biography
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. 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.
The timeline research also records 7/1943 ASTP (German) at University of Pennsylvania. Worked as clerk-typist in office. Buried at the American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle, Belgium.
Research notes
- ASTP; KIA Murdered as POW; http://www.online.uni-marburg.de/icwc/dachau/000-006-0056.pdf
Gallery
Technical record
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 20 |
| Nara ASN | 32824267 |
| Nara Name | ZAPPLER MURRAY |
| Nara State | 23 |
| Nara County | 5 |
| Nara POE | 2364 |
| Nara DOE | 50343 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 137 |
| Nara Marital Status | 1 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 44 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 120 |
| Class_ASN | 32824267 |
| Class_Name | ZAPPLER, Murray |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline
- 9/1/1924 Born in Germany (Jewish).
- 5/16/1944 Started as student with Class 19, Section 5D (German).
- 9/4/1944 Promoted to T/5; transferred to DEML.
- 11/28/1944 Assigned to IPW Team 154 attached to 106th Infantry Division.
- 12/20/1944 Captured at Bleialf and murdered along with S/Sgt Kurt R. Jacobs by command of German Capt Curt Bruns (‘because they were Jews’).
- 4/1943 ASTP in Atlanta as Pfc.
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 2017-09-03 (1 post)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2019-06-06 (4 posts)
- Ritchie Boys of WWII Facebook page, post dated 2021-03-08 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Murray Zappler for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Zappler, Murray for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: MURRAY ZAPPLER.doc)