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Herbert Kraus
| Herbert Kraus | |
|---|---|
 Lt. Herbert Kraus, in an official photo documenting his field promotion after two years serving in Europe. | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1917 Demmelsdorf, Germany |
| Died | 1986 |
| Nativity | Germany |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| ASN | 35059537 |
| Rank | Private |
| Camp Ritchie | Class 10 (23 July – 20 September 1943) |
| Section | 5D |
| Enlisted | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Teams | IPW 2, IPW 179 |
{{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.
Herbert Kraus (1917–1986) was a Ritchie Boy (from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 10 and served with IPW Team 2; 179.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Ritchie Boy Herbert Kraus was born in Demmelsdorf, Germany, in 1917, during the first World War.
Kraus was transferred to Camp Ritchie that summer, graduating from the 10th training class in September.
Army after Pearl Harbor, but was rejected because he was considered an “enemy alien.” Herbert was eventually drafted and entered the Army in April 1943.
Kraus also briefly interrogated Herman Goering after he was captured by the T-Patch Division in May 1945, and he likely interrogated Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, who held the highest field command in the German Army. Demmelsdorf was a tiny hamlet with more cows than people, and fittingly, Kraus’s family was in the cattle business. As life became increasingly difficult for Jews under Hitler, Kraus escaped Nazi Germany and found refuge in the U.S.
Kraus volunteered for the U.S. Kraus then served in the 36th Infantry (or T-Patch, with the “T” indicating Texas) Division during the remainder of the war. He was part of the Division HQ interrogation team until the end of WWII, serving in North Africa, Italy, France, Austria, and Germany.
Kraus entered the Army as a Private and left as a Second Lieutenant, having received a field commission for his service. At the end of the war, Kraus uncovered the true identity of Josef "Sepp" Dietrich, a notorious Waffen SS General who was masquerading as a civilian in a POW cage. Dietrich – the third-highest ranking SS officer – was tried and imprisoned for life by the U.S.
For his prominent role in the murder of 84 U.S. POWs during the Battle of the Bulge, in what became known as the Malmedy Massacre. Kraus remained in Germany after VE day, helping the Allies de-Nazify southwestern Germany.
During this time, he went back to Demmelsdorf to visit his father’s grave for the first time, only to see that the Jewish Cemetery had been ransacked and his father’s gravestone was missing. He found the culprit and demanded the immediate restoration of both the cemetery and the gravestone. His demand was honored with alacrity, and both remain in good repair to this day.
The preceding account is based on his records uncovered and researched by his son Jeff Kraus.
His brothers and mother also made it to America, but his father died shortly after Kristallnacht, the November 1938 Nazi pogrom against Germany’s Jews. He died in 1986, and like so many returning soldiers, Kraus didn’t talk about his war experiences. After the war, Kraus returned to his adopted hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, where he married, raised a family, and was involved in community and synagogue life.
Research notes[edit | edit source]
- 3rd Army; 5th Army (?)
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
Kraus interrogates a German POW. Note the Allied POW/capture processing or interrogation tag on his breast pocket. -
Technical record[edit | edit source]
| Field | Imported value |
|---|---|
| Approx Age at Death | 69 |
| Nara ASN | 35059537 |
| Nara Name | KRAUS HERBERT |
| Nara State | 53 |
| Nara County | 35 |
| Nara POE | 5323 |
| Nara DOE | 170443 |
| 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 | 17 |
| Nara Race | J |
| Nara Race Description | White not yet a citizen |
| Nara Education | 4 |
| Nara Civilian Occupation | 180 |
| Nara Marital Status | 6 |
| Nara Height (inches) | 88 |
| Nara Weight (lbs) | 110 |
| Class_ASN | 35059537 |
| Class_Name | KRAUS, Herbert |
| match_method | asn_exact_name_exact |
| row_source | both |
Timeline[edit | edit source]
- Born 1917 Born in Germany; Religion: Hebrew.
- 17 April 1943 — Enlisted at Cleveland, OH as Pvt (ASN: 35059537).
- 20 September 1943 — Graduated with Class 10.
- May 1944 — ? Served with IPW Team 2 attached to Third Army (?).
- 25 April 1945 — ? Served with IPW Team 179, attached to 36th Infantry 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 2026-08-10 (1 post)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Herbert Kraus for Camp Ritchie (private research document; 1 source documents reviewed)
- Dan Gross, Timeline of Kraus, Herbert for Camp Ritchie (private research files; selected non-private narrative findings; 1 source files: HERBERT KRAUS.docx)