Lt. Col. Albert E. Bauman Jr., a World War II combat veteran and career military officer, died in his sleep Monday at his Catonsville home. He was 92.

Colonel Bauman was born and raised in Trenton, N.J. He moved to Baltimore in 1932, and worked as a keypunch operator for the newly created Social Security Administration.

In the late 1930s, he enlisted in the 110th Field Artillery Battalion of the 29th Division. After graduating from Officers Candidate School in the early days of World War II, he was assigned to the division's 108th Field Artillery. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and Hurtgen Forest.

After the war, Colonel Bauman remained in the Army until retiring in 1961.

After a brief stint with Social Security, he returned to the Army at Fort Meade as a civilian employee assigned to the Readiness Command. He retired in 1980.

"Like many people in his generation, my dad was an unsung-hero kind of guy," said a son, William J. Bauman of Catonsville. "He never drew much attention to himself or sought the spotlight. He just knew what had to be done and did it."

Mr. Bauman enjoyed traveling and visited all 50 states. He was also an avid outdoorsman who liked to hunt and fish.

"He always enjoyed seeing new places and learning the customs and ways of others," said another son, Albert E. Bauman III of Honolulu.

He was a parishioner of St. Mark Roman Catholic Church, 27 Melvin Ave., Catonsville, where a Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

In addition to his sons, Mr. Bauman is survived by his wife of 57 years, the former Emma Wenzel; a daughter, Ann E. Boehm of Pennsville, Pa.; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.