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William Nagel

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William Nagel
William Nagel
Personal details
Birth nameWilhelm Nagelberg Nagelberg
Born10 December 1914
Vienna, Austria
Died19 September 2001
Silver Spring, Maryland
NativityAustria
ReligionJewish
AwardsAmerican Defense Service Medal
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN32108533
RankStaff Sergeant
Rank at RitchiePrivate First Class
Camp RitchieClass 20 (19 June – 16 August 1944)
Section5A
EnlistedJamaica, New York
TeamMII 474-G
Awards and honors
American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one bronze service star
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Good Conduct Medal World War II Victory Medal
Teammates
Team — MII 474-G
These are other soldiers listed on the same team roster. People moved between teams; overlapping service dates are not always documented.
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.


William Nagel (10 December 1914 – 19 September 2001), born Wilhelm Nagelberg in Vienna, was a Class 20 Ritchie Boy who interrogated German prisoners in both the Pacific and European theaters.

Biography[edit | edit source]

William Nagel (formerly Wilhelm Nagelberg) was born on 10 December 1914 in Vienna, Austria, the only child of Fritz and Helene Nagelberg (née Licht). The family lived in Leopoldstadt. After secondary school he studied global trade and economics; in July 1938 he submitted a dissertation on the British cotton economy and was among the few Jewish students in Austria awarded a doctorate after the Anschluss.

The family fled to Italy. In March 1940 William sailed to the United States on the SS Vulcania; his parents remained in Europe. He enlisted in the Army, met fellow Viennese refugee Gertrude Juris, and married her in New York on 18 January 1942. Naturalized the next year, he trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 20 / MII Team 474-G) and served as an intelligence interrogator in both the Pacific and European theaters. He was discharged in late 1945.

After the war Nagel worked in economics, including the Department of Commerce. His parents, who had survived in Italy, joined them in the United States in 1953. He and Gertrude raised a family and settled in Maryland. Nagel died on 19 September 2001; his last residence was Silver Spring, and he was buried at Judean Memorial Gardens near Olney, Maryland.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

  • OCR (99%) of `6014047925283745.jpg` (Discharge)
  • OCR (98%) of `6014047935283744.jpg` (DISCHARGE, Camp Ritchie, Good Conduct) — dated 1 November 1944

Gallery[edit | edit source]

  • Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
    Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
  • Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
    Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
  • Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
    Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
  • Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
    Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
  • Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
    Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
  • Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
    Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
  • Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch
    Additional information and photo is courtesy of the Gedenkbuch

Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 87
Nara ASN 32108533
Nara Name NAGEL WILLIAM
Nara State 23
Nara County 81
Nara POE 2349
Nara DOE 200341
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 9
Term of enlistment Three year enlistment
Defer. Date 0
Nara Source 0
Nara Nativity N2
Nara Year of Birth 14
Nara Race J
Nara Race Description White not yet a citizen
Nara Education 9
Nara Civilian Occupation 245
Nara Marital Status 6
Nara Height (inches) 69
Nara Weight (lbs) 158
Class_ASN 32108533
Class_Name NAGEL, William
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 10 December 1914 — Born Wilhelm Nagelberg in Vienna, Austria.
  • July 1938 — Awarded doctorate in economics, Vienna.
  • March 1940 — Arrived in the United States on SS Vulcania.
  • 18 January 1942 — Married Gertrude Juris in New York.
  • 1943 — Naturalized; trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 20).
  • 1944–1945 — Intelligence / interrogation service, Pacific and Europe.
  • Late 1945 — Discharged.
  • 1953 — Parents joined the family in the United States.
  • 19 September 2001 — Died; buried near Olney, Maryland.

Sources[edit | edit source]

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