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Doreen Warriner, Trevor Chadwick and the ‘Winton Children’

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Doreen Warriner, Trevor Chadwick and the ‘Winton Children’ VOLAJRUME JOURNAL NO.4 APRIL 20 Doreen Warriner, Trevor Chadwick and the ‘Winton children’ ver since his part in the rescue Germans were of the greatest benefit in Doreen of 669 mostly Jewish children Warriner, getting endangered people out of Czecho­ Efrom Czechoslovakia on Kinder­ 1904-72 slovakia to Britain, in face of the Home transport­style trains in 1939 was revealed Office’s marked lack of enthusiasm. on BBC TV’s That’s Life (February 1988), The key figure in the rescue of Sir Nicholas Winton has, belatedly, refugees from Czechoslovakia was received something of the recognition Doreen Warriner, a young academic that he deserves. A knighthood, a statue from University College London, who in Prague’s Wilson Station, a feature film arrived in Prague in October 1938, soon by the Slovak director Matej Minac (1999), after Munich, to provide assistance the Masaryk Medal of the Czech Republic for those who had fled there from the and, most recently, the Channel 5 pro­ German­occupied Sudetenland and, if gramme Britain’s Secret Schindler are but possible, to bring them to safety. Warriner a few of the distinctions that honour his was mainly concerned with political name. However, Sir Nicholas was, as he refugees, especially anti­Nazis from the freely acknowledges, one of a group of Sudetenland, mostly Social Democrats people, mostly British, who were involved under the leadership of Wenzel Jaksch; in the rescue; the others, long dead, have she did not focus on Jews, though many of been almost totally forgotten. the people she rescued were Jewish, and The story of the immediate threat to Trevor she did not focus on children, though in Chadwick, the Jews of Czechoslovakia begins with 1907-79 bringing out the families of anti­Nazis she the Munich Agreement of 30 September also saved children’s lives. 1938, when Britain and France agreed that probably that, for the first time, the British It was Warriner who underpinned Hitler should occupy the Sudetenland, government became directly involved the rescue organisation in Prague. She the areas of Czechoslovakia bordering financially in the organisation of the established and headed up the office on on Germany that were in part German­ emigration of refugees from the Nazis. In Voršilská Street, where the other rescu­ speaking. Thousands of refugees, Jews the wake of its blatant sell­out of its Czech ers, including Winton, worked, and where and political opponents of the Nazis, fled ally to Hitler at Munich, the Chamberlain the trains that took refugees across the from the occupied areas into the rump government allocated £4 million to assist border to Poland were organised; and of the Czech state, itself now exposed to at least some of those under threat from she recommended Winton to the BCRC, pressure from the Germans under the the Nazis to flee the country. thus making it possible for him to create feeble regime of President Hacha. The The widespread feeling of guilt about his children’s section of the BCRC when refugees from the Sudetenland were Munich, combined with humanitarian he returned to London. Warriner stayed desperate to emigrate, as were their compassion for the Czechs, also led to in Prague until April 1939, when it became counterparts in rump Czechoslovakia. As the raising of funds by non­government too dangerous for her. She had been many Czech Jews and anti­Nazis feared, bodies, like the Lord Mayor of London’s smuggling anti­Nazis illegally across the it was only a matter of time before Hitler fund. Assisted by donations from these border into Poland, and the Gestapo were occupied the rest of the country, and on sources, the British Committee for Refu­ about to arrest her. The number of people 15 March 1939 he duly did so. gees from Czechoslovakia (BCRC), later Warriner saved ran into the thousands. It was in January 1939, in the interim the Czech Refugee Trust Fund, was set One of her most memorable exploits was, period between Munich and the German up, putting in place the apparatus to bring with two helpers, to guide two groups of occupation of Czechoslovakia, that emigrants to Britain. One advantage of endangered women and children from Nicholas Winton spent some three weeks the financial involvement of the govern­ Prague’s railway stations to safe accom­ in Prague and threw himself into the ment was that H. M. Treasury sent Robert modation in cheap hotels and hostels, and task of saving children. But others had Stopford to Prague in October 1938 as its this on the day after the German army been there well before him – and stayed representative. Stopford was one of the entered Prague, when the streets were well after, under the far more difficult unsung heroes of the story: his generous­ filled with German military units. conditions of the German occupation. The minded sympathy for the refugees and, The ‘Winton children’ left Czecho­ reason that they were mainly British was after March 1939, his ability to manage the continued overleaf AJR JOURNAL APRIL 20 Warriner and Chadwick both died in ‘Winton children’ cont. from page 1 the 1970s. This article is intended to help to bring the role they played in the rescue ‘Restitution in slovakia legally, largely thanks to Sir of the children from Czechoslovakia Austria Today’ Nicholas’s tireless efforts in fulfilling all to public attention. It is certainly not Monday 4 April, 6.30 pm the bureaucratic requirements for their intended to detract in any way from the at the entry into Britain, in finding homes for achievements of Nicholas Winton, whose Austrian Ambassador’s Residence, them and in locating people who would name is now widely famous. Probably 18 Belgrave Square, London SW1 put up a guarantee of £50 for them, as the best source of information about AJR Director Michael Newman will demanded by the government. But Win­ him is the study Nicholas Winton and the take part in a panel discussion on ton left Prague on 21 January 1939 and Rescued Generation by Muriel Emanuel the subject ‘Restitution in Austria could play no part in the organisation of and Vera Gissing (1999). Winton’s work Today’. The panel will consider the refugee transports at the Czech end. was a humanitarian effort of the highest Austria’s efforts to return real estate Fortunately, a replacement was at hand, in order. He recognised that no one was and cultural objects looted in the the person of Trevor Chadwick, a teacher focusing specifically on the rescue of Holocaust and to pay compensation at a school in Swanage, Dorset, who had endangered, especially Jewish children for personal suffering and losses. Other panelists will be Anne come to Prague to bring two refugee from Czechoslovakia, and he set out to Webber, Co-Chair of the Commission boys to places at the school. In the event, fill the gap. During his relatively brief on Looted Art in Europe; Christoph stay in Prague, he compiled an invaluable they also took a third child – Chadwick’s Bazil from the Austrian Federal database consisting of case papers on mother provided the guarantee – and she Ministry for Education, Arts and became the poet Gerda Mayer, whose many hundreds of children, which he Culture; and Georg Graf of the lines grace, among other publications, the brought back with him to London. University of Salzburg. book that accompanied the AJR’s exhibi­ There he proceeded to set up the The event will be hosted by His tion Continental Britons (2002). children’s section of the BCRC, effectively Excellency Dr Emil Brix, the Austrian Chadwick delivered the three children, on his own authority and initiative, and, Ambassador. then returned to Prague to work for the after finishing his day’s work at the If you wish to attend, please rescue of further refugees. According Stock Exchange, to complete the various contact Beatrix Steinlechner to the recently published and very requirements necessary for the children on 020 7344 3272 or at informative book by his son, William to be admitted to Britain. He lobbied [email protected] Chadwick, The Rescue of the Prague the Home Office for permits, he found Refugees 1938/39 (Leicester: Matador, guarantors, he sent photos of children to 2010), he had thousands of refugees on people willing to act as their guardians and his lists, but to his abiding regret could dossiers to those willing to accommodate YOM HASHOAH ‘only’ save hundreds. Chadwick made the them, he raised money and he generated Sunday 1 May, 11.00 am organisational arrangements in Prague publicity, all under the intense pressure As a member of the Forum for the children whose entry to Britain caused by the urgency of the situation for Yom HaShoah, the AJR is had been secured by Winton in London. in Prague, the shortness of time and the encouraging our members to Working with Warriner, he was involved slowness of the British authorities. attend the Yom HaShoah 2011 in the selection of the children to emigrate What Winton did not do was personally National Commemoration. This and in the organisation of the trains that to spirit Jews away from under the noses will take place on Sunday 1 May took them to Britain; it was he who stood of the Germans and their collaborators. 2011 at 11am at the National on the platform at Wilson Station. Someone who did was the American Memorial to the Holocaust, The The division between Warriner’s work journalist Varian Fry, who was sent Dell, Hyde Park, London. to rescue adults and Chadwick’s to rescue to Marseille in August 1940 by the As well as organising events to commemorate Yom HaShoah, children was far from absolute.
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