Britons who saved
the lives of Jews and other persecuted groups during the Holocaust
are to be honoured for their actions.
This is the first time such recognition has been bestowed by the
State as a tribute to those civilians who undertook extraordinary
acts of courage and self sacrifice, in order to help others.
The award was announced last year by Prime Minister Gordon Brown
on a visit to Auschwitz. Today, he paid tribute to those British
citizens at a reception at Downing Street.
The Prime Minister said:
"It is right that we reflect and learn from the past as
we go forward in the future. That is why I was pleased to create a
new award to recognise those amazing British individuals who
through extraordinary and selfless acts of bravery protected and
rescued Jews and others in the Holocaust.
"These individuals are true British heroes and a source
of national pride for all of us. They were shining beacons of hope
in the midst of terrible evil because they were prepared to take a
stand against prejudice, hatred and intolerance. We pay tribute to
them for the inspiration they provide now and for future
generations to come."
Minister for Cohesion and Faith Shahid Malik said:
"We often think a hero is magical, a superstar but it is
impossible not to be moved by the almost incredible stories of
these ordinary individuals. They illustrate how it is possible for
the human spirit to rise up against such wicked and unspeakable
acts of horror.
"The profound hurt, terror and destruction inflicted on
fellow human beings during the Holocaust is a lesson of yesterday,
that is sadly still relevant today. The sheer horror of the
Holocaust must serve as a reminder about the depths to which human
beings can fall.
"This award is a true opportunity to continue to
celebrate the values of our country through the experiences of
people who at times put the lives of their family in danger and
even sacrificed their own in order to help others."
There is a great national tradition in honouring those citizens
who contributed to the country's effort during the second
World War.
The award, a silver medallion inscribed with the words
'In the Service of Humanity' was presented in
the name of 27 individuals, many of who have now died. Two – Sir
Nicholas Winton, 100 and Denis Avey, 91 – accepted their award in
person at the Downing Street reception.
Other Britons who made a difference include June Ravenhall, a
British housewife living in Holland who sheltered a young Jewish
man even after her husband had been taken to a concentration camp;
Jane Haining from Dunscore in Scotland - who was sent to Auschwitz
after caring for 400 Jewish girls in occupied Hungary - and Bertha
Bracey, a Quaker woman, who lobbied the British government during
the 1930s to accept persecuted Jewish refugees. Her efforts
established the Kindertransport which took an estimated 10,000
mainly Jewish children from mainland Europe to Britain.
Notes to Editors
1. The award - British Hero of the Holocaust - is a special award
akin to a state honour. The solid silver medallion is 50mm wide
and in a black leather presentation box. The obverse is inscribed
- "in the service of humanity" and the reverse –
"in recognition of xxxx whose selfless actions preserved
life in the face of persecution"
2. The award was
announced following a campaign by the Holocaust Education Trust
and supported by Russell Brown MP EDM 1175. It called for
Holocaust heroes to be awarded MBEs and OBEs posthumously.
3.
The relatives of the named award recipients attended a lunch at
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before moving across to the
Downing Street reception at 3.30pm. Media access inside Downing
Street is on a pooled basis but photographs will be
available.
4. All bids and interview requests should be
directed to Sian Williams at Communities and Local Government
Press Desk – on 0303 4441146.
5. Receiving awards:
In person
Sir Nicholas Winton – Maidenhead - organised the rescue of 669
mainly Jewish children by train from Prague in 1939.
Denis Avey – Derbyshire - a former prisoner of war who helped
German Jewish inmate, Ernst Lobethall, to survive Auschwitz.
Posthumously
Sister Agnes Walsh – from Hull, she sheltered a family from
December 1943 in her convent in Cadouin, Dordogne.
Albert Bedane – a physiotherapist in Jersey, who sheltered
escaped French POW and Russian slave labourers and also a Dutch
Jewish woman. Albert hid them in the cellar while he treated Nazi
soldiers in his clinic in the room above.
Ida and Louise Cook – London - two sisters who as opera devotees,
traveled to Europe for musical recitals before the outbreak of
war. They took with them British visas they had worked hard to
secure for Jews needing to escape Nazi occupied Germany. On their
return journey, they smuggled jewels, furs and valuables back to
England on behalf of the families. Ida wrote many titles for Mills
and Boon, which partly funded their missions to rescue 29 people.
Sergeant Charles Coward – Edmonton - as a POW in Auschwitz, he
was appointed Red Cross liaison for 1400 British POWs. He used
this position to smuggle food and contraband to Jewish inmates and
smuggled himself into the Jewish camp, in order to confirm the
horrific conditions there.
Major Frank Foley – Somerset - working as a spy in the British
embassy in Berlin, Frank risked his life by issuing false visa to
desperate Jews. He is well documented for saving 10,000 people.
Jane Haining – Dunscore, Scotland - Jane had worked as school
matron at a Jewish orphanage in Budapest. When war broke out, she
was in England and immediately returned to look after her girls.
She was arrested in April 1944 and eventually sent to Auschwitz
where she died.
June Ravenhall – Warwickshire – June was a British housewife
living in Holland with her husband and three children. When war
broke out, her husband Les was taken to a prison camp and never
seen again. June agreed to shelter a young Jew called Louis
Velleman for a long period of time, even though she knew his
discovery would mean almost certain death.
Sofka Skipwith – Cornwall – Sofka was born into Russian
aristocracy but arrived in Britain after the revolution. She was
arrested in November 1940 after protesting at an anti-Nazi rally
and was interned. She saved a newborn baby by smuggling him to the
Red Cross and enabled many people to escape by using the contacts
she built up.
Princess Alice of Greece – England – Princess Alice was mother to
the Duke of Edinburgh. She worked to organise shelters for orphan
children and sheltered three Jewish women when Greece was occupied.
Bertha Bracey – England – a Quaker who worked tirelessly to lobby
the British government about the plight of the Jews in Germany.
She was instrumental is setting up the Kindertransport which
brought 10,000 mainly Jewish children to England from mainland Europe.
Louisa Gould, Ivy Forester, Harold le Druillenec – Jersey – these
were two sisters and a brother. Louisa and Ivy sheltered two
Russian POWs while Harold taught them English. All three were
arrested and Louisa was sent to Ravensbrueck camp where she
perished. Harold was the last surviving British citizen at Belsen.
Henk Huffener – Guildford – Henk took British citizenship in 1950
when he moved to England. Up until then he had lived in Holland
where he worked hard to smuggle Jews out of the country to
Switzerland and Spain.
Stan Wells, Alan Edwards, George Hammond, Roger Letchford, Tommy
Noble, John Buckley, Bill Scruton, Bert Hambling, Bill Keeble,
Willy Fisher – 10 British POWs who saved the life of 15 year old
Jewish girl Hannah Sara Rigler who escaped the death march outside
Danzig, while her mother and sister perished. Sara is still alive
and lives in New York.
Contacts:
Communities and Local Government Press Office
Phone: 0303 44 41137
press.office@communities.gsi.gov.uk