Off The Record
This Man Saved 669 Children During the Holocaust And He Doesn’t Know They’re Sitting Next to Him
A hero named Sir Nicholas Winton rescued 669 children from Czechoslovakia, bringing them to safety to the UK and sparing them the horrors of the Holocaust.
He said: “Why are you making such a big deal out of it? I just helped a little; I was in the right place at the right time?”
Despite his humble statement above, it’s a lot more than just being in the right place at the right time because his story proves otherwise.
A hero named Nicholas Winton was born in Hampstead in 1909 to Jewish parents.
Sir Nicholas Winton cancelled a skiing trip last minute when his friend, Martin Blake, urged him to check out the devastating situation in Prague.
When Germany annexed Sudetenland, the area became overflown with refugees.
Winton travelled to Czechoslovakia, sent by Doreen Warriner to check on few refugee camps.
They both worked as a team to relocate the adults, but Winton knew that something had to be done to rescue the children too.
When a campaign was launched against the hatred of Jews, a lot of people lost their lives and suffered greatly.
The British government decided to relax the immigration laws so children can enter Britain from Austria and Germany.
The program known as the Kindertransport brought 10,000 children to the UK successfully, but Winton asked the British government if they can allow Czech children to come to the UK as well.
Winton, alongside with his mother and a few volunteers, worked tirelessly to raise funds and pay travel expenses, as well as allow them safe passage.
At the end, 669 children came to the UK over a couple of months.
The last train with 250 children never got on time because war broke out, and it was heartbreaking for Winton and his team because they never heard from these children again…
A lot of families ramshackle during the war, and many lost their lives, but the actions of one man and his team, got these helpless children to safety.
Winton got a knighthood, a great honour. Also he received the Freedom of the Cities of both Prague and London, and the Order of the White Lion, the Czech Republic’s highest honour.
He will stay an inspiration to the whole world, and while many did nothing, he choose courage over fear and saved many lives. Sir Nicholas died in July 2015, aged 106.
Every time I see this video I get goosebumps!
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Watch the video below:
