Several websites explore Theodore H. Bachenheimer’s life as a soldier; however, none include primary sources that verify the content of the websites. We have linked several here and have included commentary regarding what has been verified by the primary texts on our website and what has been contradicted.

Bachenheimer, T. H. (n.d.). World War II gravestone. Retrieved from https://ww2gravestone.com/people/bachenheimer-theodore-ted-h/

States similar stats as my grandmother regarding being a paratrooper in the 82nd Airbrone in the 504 Regiment.  

New info: Born 23-12-1923, Braunschweig, Germany; also, “The Bachenheimer family left Germany in 1933, due to pressure of the Nazi’s. Via Prague, Vienna and Cherbourg, they reached the United States of America in 1934 and became American citizens.” According to my grandmother, he became a naturalized citizen before he enlisted.  

This website must be much older because it states that he is currently burried in Beth Olam Jewish Cemetery, but he is in the Hollywood Forever Cemetary.

from the website

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Bachenheimer, Theordore H. “Ted.” (2019). Traces of War. Retrieved from https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34342/Bachenheimer-Theodore-H-Ted.htm?c=aw

This website states that his birthday is different than WWII Gravestone: here they state:

Date of birth:  April 23rd, 1923 (Braunschweig, Germany.  They do confirm that he was born in Braunschweig, Germany; he had one brother Klaus, who my grandmother contacted and there are letters to and from Klaus and my grandmother in the primary research.  This website makes the same exact statement as WWIIG: “Via Prague, Vienna and Cherbourg they reached the United States of America in 1934 and became American citizens.”  Copied and pasted info from somewhere???

Important dates:

  • 1942 volunteered for paratroopers after Pearl Harbor (confirmed in primary research)
  • Married Ethel Murfield before deployment (confirmed- pictures of Ethel and my grandmother along with my grandmother’s narrative of the meeting are in the primary research)
  • Participated in operation Husky during invasion of Scily (not confirmed based on what I have read yet)
  • Fought in battles in Solerno and and Anzio- awarded Silver Medal for “regular reconnaissance missions behind German lines.”  (Silver Medal confirmed by primary research).
  • 17 September 1944 – Operation Market Garden- landed in Nijmegen (which is in Holland) -occupied by Germans- became the leader of a Dutch resistance group and nicknamed “the GI General” by the Dutch people.  
  • 6 October 1944, captured at a safe house called Fekko Ebbens- “ part of Operation Windmill, which was an escape route for British 1st Airborne soldiers that were left behind in German occupied Holland after operation Market Garden.”
  • 22 October 1944 shot after trying to escape

 from website

Silver medal awarded:  June 14th, 1944

Bronze medal awarded:  January 7th, 1952

Other medals???: Bronze Star, Purple Heart (confirmed), Good Conduct Medal – Army,  American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge—no dates or other information given

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Theodore H. Bachenheimer: 1923-1944. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.usairborne.be/Hall_of_honor/us_honor_bachenheimer.htm

Most of the information on this site is already confirmed by my grandmother’s research, but new info: the body contained “a ball in the head and one in the nape of the neck.

Initially registered officially as “missing”, Dutch buried him in the local cemetery in T’Harde. In April, 1946, his body was re buried in the military cemetery of the United States to Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium”

There are also three quotes on this site from other individuals talking about Bachenheimber including Strunk who my grandmother also corresponded with and Ross Carter who is mentioned in the research.  

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Ted Bachenheimer – A Tribute to an 82nd Airborne Hero. (2018). WWII History Project. Retrieved from https://www.ww2historyproject.org/portfolio/ted-bachenheimer-2/

This article is a transcription from a published article by Fred Baldino- who has also corresponded with my grandmother and he sent quite a bit of information that I will scan.

Not sure this is in the file and will have to check but it is not info on the other websites: “Prague, Czechoslavakia.  And, because his mother was not Jewish, she and the boys had no trouble joining him there.  The family then went to Vienna for two years, and in 1934 they sailed on the SS Majestic from Cherbourgh, France, to the U.S.A., arriving in New York City, and soon after settled in Hollywood, CA. “

  • Studied drama at Los Angeles City College- confirmed
  • Trained at Fort Benning in Georgia after enlisting- confirmed
  • Assigned to 504th PIR at Ft. Bragg, NC- confirmed
  • “assigned to Regimental Hq Co because of his fluency in the German” – confirmed
  • Gives personal account of being with Bachenheimer-  need to link to this website
  • This article also talks about A. Visser who was the school master in Holland.  His students took over caring for the memorial left in Bachenheimer’s honor, and my grandmother has notes on him, including a full account from Visser which has been translated in English.  

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Theodore H. Bachenheimer. (2019). The Hall of Valor Project. Sightline Media Group. Retrieved from https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/116180

States that the Silver Medal has been unconfirmed: incorrect

States 3rd Infantry Division: incorrect

General Orders No. 118 (1944): ??

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Extended personal notes about Theodore H. Bachenheimer. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.marketgarden.com/database/roll2/personalnotes.php?id=38

  • New info: father was a musician
  • Came to America in 1936-  Different than other websites- grandma has notes on this
  • “Entered service on Saturday 13 December 1941, at Los Angeles, California, U. S. A., with enlistment in the Regular Army as a private.”
  • Includes story about why he was given the Bronze Star Link to this website

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Van Lunteren, F. (2019). Bachenheimer, Theordore H. Traces of War. Retrieved from https://www.tracesofwar.com/articles/2534/Bachenheimer-Theodore-H.htm?c=gw

  • Born: 23 April, 1923,
  • Father was a pianist, composer, and opera producer
  • Mother an actress
  • States both parents were of Jewish decent, but grandmother’s research states that she was Christian although confirms father was Jewish.
  • “On May 1, 1942, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment had been established under the command of Colonel Reuben H. Tucker. Theodore was allocated to C Company of the 1st Batallion.”
  • “The 82nd crossed over to North Africa on April 29th, 1943. Eleven days later, May 10th they arrived in Casablanca, Morocco. There they spent two months in the desert with maneuvers and waiting. Early July 1943 the 82nd was transferred for their first battle jump over Sicily.”
  • “On the night of 13 to 14 September, the 504th Parachute Infantry regiment jumped over Salerno”
  • landed at Anzio on 22 January, 1944 by sea- once there left to go behind German lines and engaged Germans in a dialog since his native language was German, took a German prisoner
  • **** explicitely states: “As the stories were told and retold, they became nicer and stronger. Therefore with hindsight it is difficult to distinguish truth from fiction.”  Reason why the primary research is needed.

“The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment left Anzio on 23 March, 1944, and joined the 82nd Airborne Division in Great Britain again. Bachenheimer was rewarded the Silver Star on 14 June, 1944, for demonstrated courage during the fighting for Anzio”