Ratz Ilya Mikhailovich (1915-1977)

Ratz Ilya Mikhailovich (2 January 1915, Višķi — 1977, Riga) — prison guard.

After completing six classes of a Jewish school, Ilya Ratz studied tailoring in 1929–1930 in Višķi. From 1930 to 1937 he worked as a tailor for the employer “Maurer”.

From 1937 to 1938 he served as a private in the coastal artillery of the Latvian Army. From 1938 to 1940 he worked in various jobs in Višķi.

From 1940 to 1941 he worked as a prison guard in Riga. In 1941 he was evacuated to Nizhny Novgorod.

From 1941 to 1942 he served as a private in the 125th Regiment of the 43rd Latvian Guards Division in Staraya Russa. From 1942 to 1943 he was treated in hospital after being wounded, and in 1944 he was discharged due to disability.

From 1944 to 1946 he worked again as a prison guard in Riga. From 1946 to 1953 he worked as a security guard in a cooperative organisation for disabled persons in Riga.

In 1946 he married Rachel Khaimovna Ratz (née Solovey) (born 5 April 1922, Balvi).

Their sons were: Lev Ilyich Ratz (born 15 December 1946, Riga) and Mikhail Ilyich Rats (born 1951).

Family:

Rachel Khaimovna Ratz (née Solovey) (born 5 April 1922, Balvi) - wife

Lev Ilyich Ratz (born 15 December 1946, Riga) - son

Mikhail Ilyich Ratz (born 1951) - son

Mikhail Ilyich Ratz (1881–1941) (1881, Daugavpils – murdered in the Holocaust in 1941, Daugavpils) - father

Taube Izrailevna Ratz (née Arsh) (1886, Daugavpils – murdered in 1941) - mother

Mikhail Mikhailovich Ratz - brother

Boris Mikhailovich Ratz - brother

Eliyahu Domesek (emigrated to Israel, Tel Aviv, in 1936) - cousin