Georgie Ratterman
Ratterman cropped from 1920 team picture
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
PositionEnd
ClassGraduate
Personal information
Born:(1898-08-28)August 28, 1898
San Francisco, California
Died:November 9, 1961(1961-11-09) (aged 63)
California
Career history
CollegeGeorgia Tech (1920)
High schoolSpring Hill College
Career highlights and awards

George Henry "Georgie" Ratterman (August 28, 1898 – November 9, 1961) was a college football player.

Early years

Ratterman grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He prepped at Spring Hill College in Alabama, entering in 1912.[1] There he played center and guard.

World War 1

Upon American entry into World War I in 1917, Ratterman joined the 96th Aero Squadron, Air Service, United States Army, in Kelly Field, Texas. As a first lieutenant and pilot he flew with this unit, later renamed the 96th Bombardment Squadron. He was reportedly the youngest American pilot to fly in the war at the age of 19.[2]

He was shot down and taken prisoner on July 10, 1918. His capture was possibly with a group of six planes shot down on this date in the Toul Sector. One source reports "...Landshut, Bavaria...the old castle on the hill...which had been set aside for American aviation officers. There were eighteen of them there....pilots and observers of the 96th Aero Squadron who had been captured on 10 July."[3] Ratterman is mentioned as part of this group. Lt. Puryear later led a group of un-named Americans to escape. A family tradition states that George had escaped the castle.

Georgia Tech

Ratterman was a prominent end for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets of the Georgia Institute of Technology. In 1938, Ratterman was selected as an end for an all-time Tech football team 1892-1921 "prehistoric era" published in its yearbook.[4]

1920

The 1920 season was William Alexander's first as head coach. The Tech team went 8–1 with its only blemish a controversial 10–3 loss to Pitt.[5][6] Ratterman caught appendicitis[7] or had some stomach pain due to his experience in a German war prison[8] yet still managed to play the last two games; and was selected All-Southern by various selectors including Charley Moran.[9]

References

  1. ↑ The Springhillian. 1917. pp. 254–255.
  2. ↑ Sloan, James. Wings of Honor. p. 183.
  3. ↑ Treadwell, Terry. America's First Air War. p. 142.
  4. ↑ "THE BLUE PRINT'S ALL TIME GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL TEAM". Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  5. ↑ Chris Yandle (October 22, 2014). "GT Vault: It's Been Awhile". Retrieved February 23, 2015.
  6. ↑ Walter Coxe (1953). "The Tornado of '20". Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine. 32 (2): 22.
  7. ↑ cf. "Old Enemies In Annual Contest". The Evening Independent. November 6, 1920.
  8. ↑ Wallace George (November 7, 1920). "In Featureless Game Tornado Second String Bests Clemson Tigers". Atlanta Constitution. p. 3. Retrieved June 4, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ↑ "All-Southern Elevens". Spalding Football Guide. Shawnee Mission, Kansas, NCAA Publishing Service. 1920. pp. 41, 69, 27, 67.
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