Harold Raasch (1924) 1930 Census Record:-
Name: Harold Raasch
Gender: Male
Birth Year: abt 1924
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Race: White
Home in 1930: Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Son
Father's Name: Alfred Raasch
Father's Birthplace: Wisconsin
Mother's name: Anna Raasch
Mother's Birthplace: Wisconsin
Occupation:
Household Members:
Name Age
Alfred Raasch 39
Anna Raasch 41
Alfred Raasch 7
Harold Raasch 6
Marcella Raasch 3
Family Trees:
This Harold is found in the Raasch family tree on Ancestry. He married a Janice Marie Kennedy born 17 June 1923 in New Philadelphia, Ohio and died 5 July 1983 in Sunnyvale, California. In this tree there is only one child, (a boy), who's details are private.
He also appears in the Leggett/Liggett Family tree and marries Janice there too... In this tree there are 3 children, (1 girl and two boys), with private details too. This tree confirms the enlistment record, 1930 Census record and the death record I had already found. This record of Harold was added to the Ancestry tree by a certain tdraasch... Dear, dear Timothy...
He also appears in a Graf Family tree which confirms his parents as Alfred Raasch and Anna (Reitz) Raasch.
Timothy Raasch also has a family tree of his own that references Harold Raasch born in 1924 - the tree is in the name tdraasch confirming the link in the Leggett/Liggett tree above.
Army Enlistment Record:-
Name: Harold A Raasch
Birth Year: 1924
Race: White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Wisconsin
State of Residence: Wisconsin
County or City: Milwaukee
Enlistment Date: 5 Jan 1943
Enlistment State: South Carolina
Enlistment City: Shaw Field Sumter
Branch: Air Corps
Branch Code: Air Corps
Grade: Private
Grade Code: Private
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 Component: Reserves - exclusive of Regular Army Reserve and Officers of the Officers Reserve Corps on active duty under the Thomason Act (Officers and Enlisted Men -- O.R.C. and E.R.C., and Nurses-Reserve Status)
Source: Enlisted Reserve or Medical Administrative Corps (MAC) Officer
Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Occupations in manufacture of automobiles, n.e.c.
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 00
Weight: 100
This enlistment record is confirmed here and gives his service number as 16089455:-
http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/mil...enli134gmt.txt
The thought that this Harold A Raasch is the same one that was in the Bulgarian Prison Camp is therefore "shot down", (pun intended), by the fact that the chap in the camp had a serial number O-715095 as witnessed here:-
WorldWar2.ro Forum -> Shumen POW camp
Post War Information:-
In 1954 Harold was at Robins AFB Georgia with his wife where he worked as a Historical Service(s) Director:-
Name: Harold A Raasch
Gender: M (Male)
Residence Year: 1954
Street Address: 2717 Cherokee av
Residence Place: Macon, Georgia
Occupation: Historical Serv Dir
Spouse: Janice M Raasch
Publication Title: Macon, Georgia, City Directory, 1954
In 1956 Harold and Janice were in Decatur GA where he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia:-
Name: Harold A Raasch
Gender: M (Male)
Residence Year: 1956
Street Address: Decatur GA
Residence Place: Atlanta, Georgia
Occupation: Asst Prof
Spouse: Janice M Raasch
Publication Title: Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1956
In 1961 it's quite probable that this record is them having moved to Manchester, New Hampshire where he worked as a scheduler at the US Tracking Station, New Boston, (see New Boston Air Force Station - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Name: Harold A Raasch
Gender: M (Male)
Residence Year: 1961
Residence Place: Manchester, New Hampshire
Occupation: Scheduler
Spouse: Janice Raasch
Publication Title: Manchester, New Hampshire, City Directory, 1961
This is most probably a list of his later addresses:-
Name: Harold A Raasch
Address: 633 King St Apt 12, Santa Rosa, CA, 95404-3852
[2980 Bay Village Cir # B, Santa Rosa, CA, 95403-3613]
[1945 Piner Trlr Rd 3, Santa Rosa, CA, 95403]
[1945 Piner Trlr Rd 38, Santa Rosa, CA, 95403]
[7051 Fellers Ln, Sebastopol, CA, 95472-4479 (1994)]
So, to summarize. Harold Arthur Raasch was born on the 21st February 1924 in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Prior to his enlistment at 19 years of age he worked for an automobile manufacturer. He joined the Army Air Force at Shaw Field, Sumpter, South Carolina as a private on the 5th Jan 1943. At the time of enlistment he was unmarried. Some time later he married a Janice Marie Kennedy and had three children. He spent some time on the East Coast doing various jobs including being an assistant professor at the University of Georgia. Some time after 1961 the family moved to California. He is almost certainly the father of a Timothy D Raasch who was born in 1955 which fits with his already being married in 1954 in Macon, Georgia. Harold died on my birthday, 20th February 2000 just the day before his 76th birthday.
I find it difficult to believe that our, (most probably), factory working Harold joined as a private in 1943 and became a Spitfire pilot flying out of Biggin Hill by the end of the war. T'is little wonder the Reverend Timothy D. Raasch has become so uncooperative...