Introduction
Anthony Walter Bretschneider was born in Philadelphia PA on June 4, 1911 to Joseph and Magdeline Bretschneider. He attended school through the 8th grade and then found work, as was common practice in those times. His family, which included older sister Mary and younger brothers Lawrence and Joseph Jr., lived at 2457 Sepviva Street in Philadelphia when the census was taken in 1930. Anthony Bretschneider was then working as a shipper for a drug manufacturing company. The family moved to Camden in the 1930s.
Anthony W. Bretschneider was appointed to Camden Fire Department on November 15, 1940 and reported for duty the following day. He served for over 30 years, retiring on January 1, 1971 as a Captain.
The 1947 Camden City directory shows Anthony Bretschneider and his wife Helen living at 1621 Louis Street. He was still living there as late as the fall of 1970.
Last a resident of Clementon NJ, Anthony W. Bretschneider died on December 30, 1995.
Mrs. Kobus Names 3 Cops, 4 Firemen
Camden Courier-Post —
Son of Former Fire Captain Among Men Appointed to Police Force
Appointment for three policemen and four firemen, all of whom will report for duty today, was announced yesterday by Commissioner Mary W. Kobus, director of public safety.
The new policemen will be assigned to duty in company with older officers to gain experience. The new firefighters will be trained at the police fire school.
Edward D. Tatem, of 565 Mt. Vernon street, one of the new patrolmen, is a son of former Fire Captain William Tatem. Tatem is a graduate of Camden High School. Roland E. Comerford, of 2931 Cramer street, who also was appointed to the police force, is a son of Fireman William Comerford, chauffeur for Battalion Fire Chief Charles Erickson. Young Comerford is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School.
The third new policeman is Joseph Hooven, of 918 North Nineteenth street. He is a Camden High graduate and also studied two years at Villanova College.
Those appointed firemen are Phillip H. Farrow, of 529 Newton avenue; John Gryckiewicz, of 810 North Front street, Thomas Winstanley, of 329 Bailey street, and Anthony Bretschneider, of 1621 Louis street.
Farrow and Gryckiewicz graduated from Woodrow Wilson and Gryckiewicz served a four year enlistment in the Navy. Bretschneider graduated from a Philadelphia high school and attended evening classes at Woodrow Wilson.
All appointments were made from a State Civil Service Commission list of eligibles. Commissioner Kobus has adopted a policy of appointing high school graduates to both the police and fire departments.
Mrs. Kobus to Ask More Cops, Firemen for City Next Year
Camden Courier-Post —
New Appointment Return Forces to 1938 Status; Defense Increases Need
Appointment of 22 patrolmen and 10 firemen by City Commissioner Mary W. Kobus during the past three months has brought the personnel of the public safety department to figures comparable to 1938.
That announcement was made yesterday by Commissioner Kobus, who expressed the hope the city could afford additional members of both departments in the near future “as a safety measure and because of the great national, State and local defense programs, in which we must participate.”
“Camden is rapidly taking its rightful place as one of the greatest industrial centers of the entire nation. Thousands have been added to the payrolls of our various great industrial plants. Houses are at a premium within the city, and it is natural for the public safety department to keep in step with the times,” the commissioner stated.
“We have hundreds of new traffic problems confronting us today, that never existed back in 1931, when the police department was manned by 247 regular members and 83 special policemen and investigators.
Comparable to 1938 Figures
“Today the personnel of the police department totals 194 men, with no special investigators. This is comparable to 1938, when we had a total of 192 members of the department. Since 1938, 12 policemen have died and eight others requested to be placed on pension, after long and honorable service to their city.
“No replacements were made until a civil service examination was held and a list of eligible men provided. I have appointed 22 policemen from that list and 10 men as members of the city fire department, which had nine vacancies due to deaths and retirement.
“I will ask that sufficient money be placed in my budget for next year to appoint a few additional policemen, due to the defense measures which have been set up, and in which the public safety department is expected to participate.”
All of the new police and fire appointees must serve for one year at a salary of $1500. The second year they receive $1560, with their salaries going to $1680 for the third year and $1800 for the fourth year.
Normally they would have received $2040 for the fifth year, when they become full-fledged members of the department, but a referendum approved by the voters at the last general election sets the salary of police and firemen at $2400 annually after 1943.
As it will be after that year the present appointees will reach the end of the five-year period during which they receive annual increments in their pay, it was indicated they would jump to $2400 after their fourth year in the two departments.
Appointments Listed
The new policemen appointed by Commissioner Kobus were:
Joseph Caputi, 332 Mt. Vernon street; Joseph M. Carroll, 427 Lansdowne avenue; Roland Comerford, 2931 Cramer street; Vincent Conley, 423 Beideman avenue; James Eskridge, 716 North Seventh street; Joseph Hooven, 501 Beideman avenue; Julius Kaunacki, 1183 Sheridan street; William E. Kelly, 55 State street; William F. Large, 729 Mickle street; William H. Neale, 773 Line street; Francis J. Nelson, 720 Penn street; John E. Opfer, 323 North Second street; Cecil H. Picou, 1127 Cooper street; Earl Quinton, 687 Jefferson avenue; Edw. W. Tatem, 565 Mt. Vernon street; Harry Tracy, 2003 Federal street; Harold I. Vecander, 1039 North Twenty-sixth street; John H. Watkins, 2902 Constitution road; Edward Watson, 1048 Haddon avenue; Donald R. Watson, 841 Lois avenue; George T. Weber, 1231 North Thirtieth street; Stanley Zuckowicz, 1157 Thurman street.
The new appointees to the fire department are:
Philip H. Farrow, 529 Newton avenue; Anthony W. Bretschneider, 1621 Louis street; John Gryckiewicz, 810 North Front street; Thomas Winstanley, 329 Bailey street; William Palese, 900 South Fourth street; Anthony Dzinski, 1230 Atlantic avenue; Joseph R. Guarino, 25 Morse street; Martin B. Nelson, 561 Spruce street; William Cleary, 614 Federal street; Otto Kaiser, 904 North Twenty-sixth street.
Personnel Card
Anthony W. Bretschneider personnel card