Light at the End of the Tunnel

 

The war doesn’t do any good to anyone, the suffering sustains and it seems as if there would be nothing but a total holocaust. On the eve of the Second World War, the Hitler was at his helm and it was definitely not a good time to be a Jewish not just in Nazi Germany but in entire Baltic region.

Somewhere in London, A young 28 year old English Chap named Nicholas Winton was living a very peaceful and successful life. The story goes back to 1938, stockbroker by profession, Nicholas The war doesn’t do any good to anyone, the suffering sustains and it seems as if there would be nothing but a total holocaust. On the eve of the Second World War, the Hitler was at his helm and it was definitely not a good time to be a Jewish not just in Nazi Germany but in entire Baltic region.

Somewhere in London, A young 28 year old English Chap named Nicholas Winton was living a very peaceful and successful life. The story goes back to 1938, stockbroker by profession, Nicholas Winton was an also outstanding Fencer was even selected for the British team which was to compete in Olympics but it was cancelled due to the ongoing War-like situation in the region.

As he was about to leave for a skiing holiday Switzerland, he received a call from his longtime friend Martin Blake who was working as an volunteer for the British Committee for refugee in Czechoslovakia. The German had invaded Czechoslovakia and it was not long before the Germans show up in Prague. Back then in 1938, there was no International Community or UNO, just a few independent rich missionaries who toiled hard in the conflict zone to save lives on a mass scale, but with no or little support, even their own work was very limited.

As soon as Winton reached Prague, he knew that every single minute was important and time was running out quickly, he along with other volunteers set up offices for the Jewish Refugees in Hotel Wenceslas. Soon the word spread and thousands of parents lined up with their children outside his office. He extensively collected the data of children that he had to transport out of the country safely.

However, the road ahead was not an easy one. He contacted many govt. authorities across Europe and urged to take the children in as refugees, however only England and Sweden agreed. He even wrote to then US president F.D.R but much to his disappointment, things didn’t go as he expected. The British Govt. did agree to take in Refugee Children but they wanted a guarantee of £50 per child and many other documents which did seemed to be an uphill task. He left Prague for London in early January, while his associates still worked. During the day time he worked his usual job as stockbroker while during evening hours he toiled hard to collect funds and search for foster parents to adopt those refugee children.

He did everything he could, gave newspaper advertisement and even forged the documents since his utmost priority was to save the life of innocent children. Finding home and family for refugee children wasn’t like a cakewalk, find the right people who could accept and welcome them into their family was very much like finding a needle in the haystack.

While back in Prague situation was getting tensed each passing day. An important hurdle in the entire journey was Netherland, as they cavalry had to pass through it, the Dutch Authorities had closed its borders for the Jewish people, and they were identifying them and sending it back. They all had heard about the German invasion of Kristallnacht, where the Germans captured almost 30,000-40,000 Jewish, took them to concentration camp and possibly murder them, despite having knowledge of all that, the Dutch Authorities were ignorant of letting Jewish Refugees pass through their borders. However, on the basis of British Govt.’s Guarantee, he succeeded in getting them through Netherland. 

This was the route that was taken for “Kindertransport”. From Prague the children would be taken to the Hook in Dutch land through the means of train. From there a steamer would take them to Harwich in England and then a train to London.

While on the London station, the parents who adopted the refugee children were waiting for them.

Back there in Prague, it was an agonizing moment for the Jewish parents who were probably seeing their children for the last time, knowing and accepting the fact that they wouldn’t live long enough to see or meet them again.

As the last train carrying was about to depart Prague carrying 250 odd children was caught up by German forces and the fate of those children still remains unknown to this very date. It was the very same day, the Hitler had invaded Poland.

Due to his utter dedication and his commitment to humanitarian work, Nicholas Winton and his associates managed to save the lives of 669 Jewish Children, not only that, he managed to find them families and a new life all together.

Soon after the operation was over, he went back to his usual life and carried on further. At that very moment, no one really knew who Nicholas Winton was, not even the children he saved. He didn’t say out a word to anyone about it for a very long time. It all remained a secret for almost 5 decades. Until one fine day in 1988, his wife discovered a scrapbook in the basement, which contained the pictures and details of all the kids that he saved during the outbreak of World War 2. She forwarded the scrapbook to Elizabeth Maxwell, who was a well-known person in the media circle. He was invited as a guest at a BBC program “That’s Life” and that’s when, the fact unfolded to the world who Nicholas Winton really was.

Soon the word spread, he was knighted by the Queen for his humanitarian work during the War in 2003, and many honors down the years. He was also nominated by the Czech government for Noble Peace Prize in 2008.

Regret                                

Despite the Herculean Effort he made during war, he regrets that he could have done more, he believed that had US or other countries accepted some of the refugee Children, he could have easily saved at least 2000 more.

No award or recognition is big enough to thank Nicholas Winton for his humanitarian work, but he humbly passed on all the credits to his associates and friends who worked along with him in Prague and London. His name has diminished a bit as the generations have passed, but whenever the world would talk about Jews and their struggle to sustain and survive, Sir Nicholas Winton’s name will always be up there as a Guardian Angel. was an also outstanding Fencer was even selected for the British team which was to compete in Olympics but it was cancelled due to the ongoing War-like situation in the region.

As he was about to leave for a skiing holiday Switzerland, he received a call from his longtime friend Martin Blake who was working as an volunteer for the British Committee for refugee in Czechoslovakia. The German had invaded Czechoslovakia and it was not long before the Germans show up in Prague. Back then in 1938, there was no International Community or UNO, just a few independent rich missionaries who toiled hard in the conflict zone to save lives on a mass scale, but with no or little support, even their own work was very limited.

As soon as Winton reached Prague, he knew that every single minute was important and time was running out quickly, he along with other volunteers set up offices for the Jewish Refugees in Hotel Wenceslas. Soon the word spread and thousands of parents lined up with their children outside his office. He extensively collected the data of children that he had to transport out of the country safely.

However, the road ahead was not an easy one. He contacted many govt. authorities across Europe and urged to take the children in as refugees, however only England and Sweden agreed. He even wrote to then US president F.D.R but much to his disappointment, things didn’t go as he expected. The British Govt. did agree to take in Refugee Children but they wanted a guarantee of £50 per child and many other documents which did seemed to be an uphill task. He left Prague for London in early January, while his associates still worked. During the day time he worked his usual job as stockbroker while during evening hours he toiled hard to collect funds and search for foster parents to adopt those refugee children.

He did everything he could, gave newspaper advertisement and even forged the documents since his utmost priority was to save the life of innocent children. Finding home and family for refugee children wasn’t like a cakewalk, find the right people who could accept and welcome them into their family was very much like finding a needle in the haystack.

While back in Prague situation was getting tensed each passing day. An important hurdle in the entire journey was Netherlands, as they cavalry had to pass through it, the Dutch Authorities had closed its borders for the Jewish people, and they were identifying them and sending it back. They all had heard about the German invasion of Kristallnacht, where the Germans captured almost 30,000-40,000 Jewish, took them to concentration camp and possibly murder them, despite having knowledge of all that, the Dutch Authorities were ignorant of letting Jewish Refugees pass through their borders. However, on the basis of British Govt.’s Guarantee, he succeeded in getting them through Netherlands. 

This was the route that was taken for “Kindertransport”. From Prague the children would be taken to the Hook in Dutch land through the means of train. From there a steamer would take them to Harwich in England and then a train to London.

While on the London station, the parents who adopted the refugee children were waiting for them.

Back there in Prague, it was an agonizing moment for the Jewish parents who were probably seeing their children for the last time, knowing and accepting the fact that they wouldn’t live long enough to see or meet them again.

As the last train carrying was about to depart Prague carrying 250 odd children was caught up by German forces and the fate of those children still remains unknown to this very date. It was the very same day, the Hitler had invaded Poland.

Due to his utter dedication and his commitment to humanitarian work, Nicholas Winton and his associates managed to save the lives of 669 Jewish Children, not only that, he managed to find them families and a new life all together.

Soon after the operation was over, he went back to his usual life and carried on further. At that very moment, no one really knew who Nicholas Winton was, not even the children he saved. He didn’t say out a word to anyone about it for a very long time. It all remained a secret for almost 5 decades. Until one fine day in 1988, his wife discovered a scrapbook in the basement, which contained the pictures and details of all the kids that he saved during the outbreak of World War 2. She forwarded the scrapbook to Elizabeth Maxwell, who was a well-known person in the media circle. He was invited as a guest at a BBC program “That’s Life” and that’s when, the fact unfolded to the world who Nicholas Winton really was.

Soon the word spread, he was knighted by the Queen for his humanitarian work during the War in 2003, and many honors down the years. He was also nominated by the Czech government for Noble Peace Prize in 2008.

Regret                                

Despite the Herculean Effort he made during war, he regrets that he could have done more, he believed that had US or other countries accepted some of the refugee Children, he could have easily saved at least 2000 more.

No award or recognition is big enough to thank Nicholas Winton for his humanitarian work, but he humbly passed on all the credits to his associates and friends who worked along with him in Prague and London. His name has diminished a bit as the generations have passed, but whenever the world would talk about Jews and their struggle to sustain and survive, Sir Nicholas Winton’s name will always be up there as a Guardian Angel.