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Paul Leopold Kraus

Paul Leopold Kraus
Paul Leopold Kraus
Personal details
Born21 May 1919
Austria
Died22 September 2014
NativityAustria
ReligionJewish
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN33386646
RankColonel
Rank at RitchieCorporal
Camp RitchieClass 22 (23 August – 21 October 1944)
Section5C
EnlistedBaltimore, Maryland
TeamsIPW 183, MII 501-G
Teammates
Team — IPW 183
Team — MII 501-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.


Paul Leo Kraus (1919 – 22 September 2014) was a Ritchie Boy (from Austria; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 22 and served with IPW Team 183.

Biography edit

Paul Leopold Kraus (born Pavel Leopold Kraus) was born on 21 May 1919 in Austria. A refugee in China before reaching the United States, he joined the Army soon after arrival and trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 22).

Kraus served in Europe as an infantry sergeant and interrogator with IPW/MII Team 501-G. Packet accounts place him in combat alongside Audie Murphy’s unit and credit him with identifying Otto Skorzeny among prisoners; he was among early Allied troops at Berchtesgaden. After the war he worked for Seagram.

Kraus died on 22 September 2014. His story is told in Joanie Schirm’s Adventurers Against Their Will.

Research notes edit

  • Also Class 11 5B IPW Ge
  • Packet and obituary support Leopold / Pavel Leopold; enrichment sets middle=Leopold on the live title Kraus, Paul Leo (33386646). A later title move to Kraus, Paul Leopold (33386646) is recommended. Live rank_final Colonel is not reasserted (wartime sources describe a sergeant). Audie Murphy and Otto Skorzeny are not wiki-linked (not Ritchie Boys).

Gallery edit

  •  
    Paul Leopold Kraus portrait (RB Archive)
  •  
    Paul Leopold Kraus with laboratory glassware and a Kentucky Gentleman bottle (RB Archive)

Technical record edit

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 95
Nara ASN 33386646
Nara Name KRAUS PAUL L
Nara State 1
Nara County 7
Nara POE 3110
Nara DOE 11242
Nara Grade Alpha PV0
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 N2
Nara Year of Birth 19
Nara Race J
Nara Race Description White not yet a citizen
Nara Education 0
Nara Civilian Occupation 105
Nara Marital Status 6
Nara Height (inches) 67
Nara Weight (lbs) 141
Class_ASN 33386646
Class_Name KRAUS, Paul L.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline edit

  • 21 May 1919 — Born Pavel Leopold Kraus in Austria.
  • World War II — Reached the United States after refuge in China; entered the Army.
  • World War II — Trained at Camp Ritchie (Class 22); served as an infantry sergeant and interrogator in Europe (MII 501-G).
  • 22 September 2014 — Died.

Sources edit

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