Nicholas Winton, Holocaust rescuer, turns 105

LONDON (WJC) — Sir Nicholas Winton, a Briton who at the outbreak of World War II organized mass evacuations of children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and saved them from being deported to the death camps, has turned 105. Czech President Milos Zeman announced that he would award Winton with the highest Czech state decoration.

Zeman said Winton that the extraordinary story of his life was an example of humanity, selflessness, personal bravery and modesty. Zeman says he would award Winton the Order of the White Lion in October and invited him to receive it in Prague.

As a 29-year-old British stockbroker posted in Prague, Winton arranged eight trains to carry 669 children, most of them Jewish, from Czechoslovakia through Germany to Britain in 1939.

For decades Winton, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2003, barely spoke of his actions to anyone. It was only in 1988 that a BBC program revealed what he did.

In a recent interview for CBS News’ ’60 Minutes’, Winton described how he had heard of the plight of Czech Jews and their children ahead of the war and had no choice but to help, adding his lifelong motto was “If it’s not impossible, there must be a way of doing it”.

Back in 1939, the British stockbroker did what was necessary to get as many children as he could out of the German Protectorate, even modifying the letterhead of an existing charity to include a children’s section, listing himself as its chairman. From there, the British authorities “had to accept him” and gave the green light.

Czechs have repeatedly nominated Winton for the Nobel Peace Prize.

*
Preceding provided by World Jewish Congress