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Peter D. Burland

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Peter D. Burland
Peter D. Burland
Personal details
Born1924
Andalusia, Alabama
NativityUnited States
ReligionGreek Orthodox
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN34701036
RankPrivate
Camp RitchieClass 9 (21 June – 18 August 1943)
Section1B
EnlistedFt Mcclellan, Alabama
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.


Peter D. Burland (born 1924) was a Ritchie Boy (from United States; Greek Orthodox) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 9.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Ritchie Boy Staff Sergeant Peter Burland was born in 1923, the son of Greek immigrants.

In 1941, Peter attended Entered college at LSU, Baton Rouge. According to Beverley Driver Eddy, author of the upcoming book on the Ritchie Boys, "At the time of his death, Peter was working on his memoirs, which he dedicated: 'To the graduates of Camp Ritchie, Maryland, who fought for and won the high ground in the 'Secret War' of counter-intelligence against the Germans. [...] Of the twelve men that graduated from this school and [were] assigned to the 2nd Armored Division's Tactical Command Post, three died in battle, one was severely wounded in combat, and two were physically disabled during the Battle of the Bulge by the severe cold.

This story is dedicated to these and hundreds of other Ritchie graduates who suffered a similar fate playing the cat-and-mouse game of counterintelligence...

He quit his studies in chemical engineering at LSU in December 1942 to enlist in the US Army.

RB Burland was wounded three times, including at the Battle of the Bulge. He trained as a photo interpreter and flew many missions over the German defenses in Normandy prior to D-Day invasion. He also landed at Omaha Beach with the the Second Armored Division.

And to those who survived to tell their story.'" The following on Ritchie Boy Peter Burland was provided by Professor Beverley Driver Eddy, whose upcoming book has more information on Staff Sergeant Burland.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

  • Also SG2B PI
  • Pi 16

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Nara ASN 34701036
Nara Name BURLAND PETER D
Nara State 41
Nara County 97
Nara POE 4130
Nara DOE 140143
Nara Grade Alpha PVT
Nara Grade Code 8
Nara Branch Alpha BI
Nara Branch Code 0
Branch Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
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 41
Nativity.1 ALABAMA
Nara Year of Birth 24
Nara Race 1
Nara Race Description White citizen
Nara Education 5
Nara Civilian Occupation 993
Nara Marital Status 6
Nara Height (inches) 69
Nara Weight (lbs) 130
Class_ASN 34701036
Class_Name BURLAND, Peter D.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • Born 13 July 1924 in Andalusia, AL.
  • 14 January 1943 — Drafted at Fort McClellan, AL as Pvt (ASN: 34701036).
  • 21 June 1943 — Entered Class 9.
  • 18 August 1943 — Graduated with Class 9 (Photo Interpretation).
  • 26 October 1943 — Promoted to S/Sgt.
  • At the time of his death, Peter was working on his memoirs, which he dedicated: "To the graduates of Camp Ritchie, Maryland, who fought for and won the high ground in the 'Secret War' of counter-intelligence against the Germans. […] Of the twelve men that graduated from this school and [were] assigned to the 2nd Armored Division's Tactical Command Post,.
  • Second Armored Division.

Sources[edit | edit source]

  • 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 2021-08-24 (2 posts)
  • Dan Gross, Timeline of Peter D. Burland for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
  • Dan Gross, Timeline of Burland, Peter D. for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: PETER D. BURLAND (2021).doc)