Nicholas Winston Rescued Jewish Children From Nazi’s
Nicholas Winston met with the surviving children he rescued from the Nazi’s 70 years ago.
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A meeting was held in London on Friday between Nicholas Winston and the Jewish children he rescued from the Holocaust 70 years ago. Some two dozen survivors and their families pulled into Liverpool Street Station after a three day journey by train. Winston, now 100 years old was in a wheel chair but stood up to shake hands with the visitors. Winston, himself of Jewish decent was a 29 year old clerk of the London Stock Exchange when he traveled to what was Czechoslovakia in 1938 to visit a friend. There were signs that caused Winston to be afraid that Czechoslovakia would soon be taken over by Nazi’s and Jewish residents would be sent to concentration camps.
Winston went to work organizing a way to get as many children as he could out of the country. He badgered Britain to find foster families for the children, and began raising funds for trains to bring the children out and for a fifty pound fee that would be paid to each foster family who took in a child. He secured 8 trains to carry the children through Germany to Britain just months before the war. These Jewish children were scattered throughout Britain and a few were sent to Sweden. 669 youngsters were carried to safety. Most of them never saw their parents again.
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“It’s wonderful to see you all after 70 years, said Winston, don’t leave it quiet so long until we meet here again.” While the band played, the families gave him flowers and posed for photographs, Thomas Bermman held the papers he carried to freedom as he stood for a photograph in front of a train. Joseph Ginat, who was 10 years old when he rode into England in 1939 as part of the kinder-transport said, “For me he is like a father. He gave us life.” The 80 year Ginat and his two sisters were on the trains and never saw their mother again. She died in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The largest child evacuation was planned for Sept.3, 1939 but that was the day Britain declared war on Germany and the train never left the depot. Very few of those 250 children who were to leave on that train survived. Winston never talked about the rescue and his wife didn’t know about it until after their 40th wedding anniversary. The story came out in 1988 when she found some old correspondence. Mrs. Winston talked him into having his story documented. A film was made-The Power of Good, and won an International Emmy Award.
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Prime Minister Tony Blair called Winston “Britain’s Schindler” after the German, Oskar Schindler who also saved Jewish lives during the war. Winston was knighted by Queen Elizabeth 11 and honored in the Czech Republic. A statue of him was unveiled at Prague’s central station before the train left with the children Winston carried to freedom 70 years ago.
http://socyberty.com/history/the-my-lai-massacre/
http://socyberty.com/history/1932-in-Washington-DC/
http://thrifter.com/usa-canada/kennesaw-mountains-unknown-soldier/
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23 Comments
ken bultman, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Thanks for the article. I had not previously heard the story of Mr. Winston.
Francois Hagnere, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Thank you Ruby for this important article. Very well-crafted.
OhSugar, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Excellent research on such an important part of world history. I enjoyed reading and being informed. Geart Job!
Rajesh Kumar Ram, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Wow..wonderful article! Thanks!!
chitragopi, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Heartening to know that such compassion exists in this world. Thank u for letting me read about this great person.
Unofre Pili, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
This is so sentimental and really worth-learning information maam. You masterfully wrote it as well.
Patrick Bernauw, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Good article!
Hugo La Rosa, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Very touchy, and also very informative!
Glynis Smy, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Fascinating article.
Christine Ramsay, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
I have been following this story on the news. He was a remarkable man who helped many children and changed their lives. A good article.
Christine
CHAN LEE PENG, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
I agree to others, interesting and fantastic piece. Have my liked it.
cutedrishti8, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Nice to share this one… Great work…
Jacques Berkeley, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
That’s a good article. The holocaust was such a horrific episode.
novelist, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
A well-researched article! There were many good souls that rescued Jews whose crime was no more than being Jewish. Such act of kindness should go down in history and acknowledged by every future generation. Your article is an excellent piece. Please include me as your friend. Thanks.
Mr Ghaz, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Excellent!!!..Well Done!..a wonderful and well presented article as always..Highly informative piece..Nice pics too..I LIKED IT..thanks for sharing this great stuff. Keep it up sis Ruby.
Liane Schmidt, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Wonderful*
Blessings.
Sincerely,
-Liane Schmidt.
thestickman, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
“Schindler’s List” is an excellent, excellent movie and you deserve to see at least once in your lifetime. I am trying to get my wife to see it with me but so far she refuses …she is Polish and her family knows firsthand the atrocities of the Germans (and Russians, but that is another story.)
My father was in the army of occupation and he personally saw one of the crematoriums and (wretch!) told me of the smell, the ashes, -more… It is a shameful time in human history and ‘deniers’ of the Holocaust are seriously deluded and will live in ignorance forever. I have no time for them.
Mystify, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Very intriguing and captivating write Ruby!I honestly never heard of this man and he sounds like a hero of heroes! Excellent work writing about him, very informative, keeping the readers eyes peeled wanting to learn more about him.He certainly did recieve some outstanding honors!
Ruby Hawk, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Thank you everyone for reading and commenting. As most of you know my pardner is Jewish. His grandparents were able to get his mother and her brother out of Russia in time. All the rest of the family which included 9 children were murdered and buried in a mass grave they were forced to dig themselves. iIhave no use for the deniers myself. My father and brother-in-law fought in WW11 for the cause. They both came home after the war as many others did not.
PR Mace, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Thank you, Ruby for another outstanding view into history. I remember reading this in school but you tell it so much better.
Yovita Siswati, posted this comment on Sep 7th, 2009
Fascinating piece of history! Thanks Ruby for this great post.
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unown971, posted this comment on Sep 6th, 2009
Well researched article!