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Person Info

Name: Harry F Klebs ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15}
Sex: M
Birth: 12 OCT 1917 in New York, New York, USA ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16}
Death: 1 FEB 1997 in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, California, USA ^{1 2 4 13 14}
Burial: Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, California, USA. ¹³
Baptism: 23 DEC 1917 in 336 West 36th Street, New York City, New York.
Residence:
1. 25 OCT 1917 in Union City, Hudson, New Jersey, USA.
1. 1920 in Union Ward 3, Hudson, New Jersey, USA. ³
1. 1925 in New York, Richmond. ¹²
1. 1930 in Richmond, Richmond, New York, USA. ⁶
1. 1935 in New York, Kings, New York. ⁵
1. 1940 in 25 Milford Avenue, Kings, New York, USA. ^{5 15}
1. BET 1941 AND 1943 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, USA.
1. 6 DEC 1945 in 150 Sheridan Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.
1. BEF 1951 in New York. ⁴
1. BET 1951 AND JUN 1962 in Ozone Park, Queens, New York, USA.
1. SEP 1987. ¹⁰
1. BET 1998 AND 2002 in Atascadero, California, USA. ⁹
1. in Kings, New York. ⁷
Military: BET 12 JUN 1943 AND 6 DEC 1945 in USA & France. ⁷
Person Id: I5245
Tree Id: 619364

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Parents

Father:

Harry Hans Klebs: Birth: 16 MAR 1891 in 339 E. 88th Street, Manhattan, New York. Death: 6 JAN 1955 in Queens General Hospital, Queens, New York

Mother:

Augusta Schlegel: Birth: 22 DEC 1896 in Manhattan, New York, New York, USA. Death: 15 FEB 1981 in Point Pleasant, Ocean, New Jersey, USA

Family
Marriage:

Married: Person Not Viewable .
Person Not Viewable

Children:

Person Not Viewable

Sources

1.	Title: California, Death Index, 1940-1997 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2000;
2.	Title: U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2015;
3.	Title: 1920 United States Federal Census Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;
4.	Title: U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;
5.	Title: 1940 United States Federal Census Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;
6.	Title: 1930 United States Federal Census Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2002;
7.	Title: U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2005;
8.	Title: New York, New York, Birth Index, 1910-1965 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2017;
9.	Title: U.S. Phone and Address Directories, 1993-2002 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2005;
10.	Title: U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;
11.	Title: Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2019;
12.	Title: New York, State Census, 1925 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;
13.	Title: U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;
14.	Title: Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-2016 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012;
15.	Title: U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Lehi, UT, USA; Date: 2011;
16.	Title: Birth Certificate

Notes

Note: Harry Frederick Klebs was born at the residence of his grandfather and grandmother, Frederick Schlegel & Barbara Koppmeier Schlegel at 549 10th Avenue, New York City, on October 12, 1917. His mother, Augusta Schlegel Klebs had been visiting her mother Barbara Schlegel from her residence at 366 Broadway, Union Hill, (now Union City) New Jersey when it became apparent that she was going to deliver her first born. Charlotte Schlegel Kuck the youngest sister of Augusta Schlegel Klebs wrote me a letter in 1997 shortly after Harry F. Klebs had passed away that was very moving, she stated in the letter that as a youngster herself she had seen the infant Harry and held his little hand shortly after he was born.
***
Dad enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC's) on 22 October 1935 and spent a few days of "conditioning" at Camp Dix New Jersey before he was sent to camp 1229 SCS-6 at Machias, in up-state New York. He would remain with the CCC's until his enlistment term completed on 22 September 1937. He was very proud of his term in the CCC's. While at Camp Machias he became interested in amateur (HAM) Radio. He teamed up with a few other C's cadets and built their own radio transmitter, stringing a horizontal antenna between two tall trees. He became proficient at Morse code and earned a General Operators License and years later an Advanced or Extra License. Ham Radio would become a life long hobby.
***
Dad enlisted in the Army of the United States on 12 Jun 1943. As a private he went thru 3 months of training in Shop maintenance, learning to maintain and repair all types of Army equipment. By October 1943 he was promoted to the rank of T-5, a specialty rank. He was sent for training at Ft. Screven, Tybee Island, near Savannah Georgia and completed training with his unit, the 1055th Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group of the Army Corps of Engineers. On December 23, 1943 he sailed from New York to Scotland aboard the HMT Queen Mary (sailing alone) and carrying a total of 11,990 troops,and 1,087 crew members. The luxury liner HMS Queen Mary had been converted to a troop ship and affectionately nicknamed "the Grey Ghost" because it was painted grey. Dad said that the Queen Mary sailed far into the North Atlantic in order to avoid the chase and subsequent sea battle of the massive German Battleship Scharnhorst and the British Navy which was occuring at that time. The Scharnhorst was sunk on December 26, 1943.
Arrived in Gourock Scotland on December 30, and served on guard duty at Firth of Forth Scotland, New Years Eve 1943-1944.
***
As part of the 1055th Engineer Port Construction and Repair Group, Army Corps of Engineers he left England and entered France a few days after the famous June 6th 1944 invasion of Nazi Occupied France, at Omaha Beach on the Normandy coast. He assisted in re-establishing the severely damaged port of Le Harve and Cherborg in order to receive supplies for the war in Europe. He served a total of 1 year 6 months and 8 days on "foreign soil". He remained in France until the war in Europe ended in May 1945.
He departed France on July 1, 1945 and returned to United States aboard the troop ship Marine Devil, arriving on July 10th in Boston. Shortly after arriving back in the United States he was given furlough for 30 days and was at home when the Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945). He followed up with his orders and reported for duty at Camp Gordon-Johnston near Carrabelle Florida to participate in jungle training. However, as the war in the Pacific ended August 14, 1945 with the surrender of Japan, at Camp Gordon-Johnston he was give work to guard German Prisoners of War for several weeks. He was sent to Adjutant General School at Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia near the Tennessee border and the town of Chattanooga for training as an Enlisted Correctional Custodian. He began the course on September 20th and completed it on October 17th 1945. From there he was sent to Ft. Dix New Jersey where he was honorably discharged on December 6th 1945. His military decorations included the World War II Victory Medal; the European Campaign Medal with two bronze stars; the Good Conduct Medal and the Rifle qualification badge and the ruptured duck. “The original Ruptured Duck was a cloth insignia depicting an eagle inside a wreath. It was worn on uniforms above the right breast pocket by WWII servicemen and women. It was issued to service personnel who were about to leave the military with an Honorable Discharge. It also allowed them to continue to wear their uniform for up to thirty days after they were discharged since there was a clothing shortage at that time. This showed the MP's that they were in transit and not AWOL. Well, the boys thought the eagle looked more like a duck; and, because it meant they were going home, the popular saying was, "They took off like a Ruptured Duck"...hence the nickname”.
After the war, he returned to work at the F. L. Smithe Machine Envelope Company in Manhattan New York as a machinist where he had originally begun working for on July 20, 1939. He would move up the ranks from apprentice machinist to become a Tool and Die maker. He would remain with F.L. Smithe until June 21, 1962 when he moved his family to Colorado.
Traveling to work in Manhattan was by taking the "A" train subway. He'd walk from the house at 8412-A 108th Avenue and go to the station at 84th street and Liberty Avenue. Then he'd travel by train up to 42nd street in Manhattan, walk up to street level and walk the four long city blocks to Smith's Machine Envelope Company at 44th street and 12th Avenue.
***
In the early 1960's he decided to leave New York City. The home at 84-12 108th Avenue, Ozone Park Queens that they purchased in 1951 or 52 was put on the market to be sold in early 1962. Dad had acquired a two wheeled trailer to be towed behind the 1954 Ford Station wagon. The trailer had an open top and slats on the side. Dad got Blimp fabric from his brother in law Robert Simmons who worked at the Lakehurst New Jersey Naval Air Station and mom and dad covered open portion of the trailer with the blimp fabric which was very strong material. On June 22, 1962 with all of the family possessions packed in the trailer and the back of the 1956 Ford station wagon we said goodbye to friends and family in New York and New Jersey and began the move to the vacinity of Denver Colorado.

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Name: Klebs-09-02-2020

Updated: 10-19-2020 20:10:79.

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