Statue for 'British Schindler' Sir Nicholas Winton at Maidenhead Station

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

A statue has been unveiled to honour the man dubbed the "British Schindler" for his work saving Jewish children from Nazi invasion.

Sir Nicholas Winton was 29 when he smuggled 669 boys and girls, destined for concentration camps, out of Czechoslovakia in 1939.

The 101-year-old attended the service earlier at Maidenhead railway station in front of a crowd of onlookers.

The piece, forming part of a bench, is on the station's platform three. It was unveiled by Maidenhead MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Theresa May.

Sir Nicholas, of Pinkneys Green, was joined by members of the Maidenhead Rotary Club, where he is also a member.

A motion was unanimously passed to install the ^20,000 statue, created by local sculptor Lydia Karpinska, by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council last year.

It depicts Sir Nicholas relaxing on a park bench, reading a book which contains images of the children he saved and the trains used to evacuate them.

Councillor Derek Wilson, who put forward the motion, called Sir Nicholas "a true hero". He added: "He played a valuable contribution in evacuating these children at a time when it was extremely difficult. We should never forget the contribution of the members of our community that put their own lives at risk. He is extremely modest but I felt it was important that in Maidenhead we recognised his achievements."

Sir Nicholas kept quiet about his work for 50 years until his wife found a scrapbook.

Realising the danger that the imminent Nazi invasion posed, he worked to find British families willing to put up ^50 to rescue the children and look after them until they were 17.

His efforts have been likened to the work of the world famous "saviour" of Jewish prisoners Oskar Schindler.

Sir Nicholas was knighted by the Queen in March 2003 and a year earlier was finally reunited with hundreds of the children he saved - including Labour peer Lord Dubbs and film director Karel Reisz.

[Electric train]

That answers the question The statue was there Thursday morning in the open for all to see but by Friday morning it had been covered up.  Certainly adds something to the London end of platform 2/3 Sir Nicholas Winton statue is sitting reading the book facing North that is toward the town.

[jakemonkfish]

There is a similar statue for Major Frank Foley, another 'british Schindler' in Highbridge, close to the station, though he also has a road named after him locally! ( as well as  a remembrance plaque was dedicated to him at the entrance to Stourbridge's Mary Stevens Park)

[Electric train]

Article here http://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/news/article-17852-sir-nicholas-winton-impressed-by-bronze-statue/ in the Maidenhead Advertiser

A couple of photos link to the Maidenhead Advertiser website

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

British holocaust hero Nicholas Winton stamp campaign


Sir Nicholas Winton is credited with rescuing 669 Czech children from the Nazis

Thousands of people have backed a campaign for a hero who saved hundreds of children during the Holocaust to be immortalised on a stamp.

The petition calls for the honour to be given to the late Nicholas Winton, who died last month aged 106 and was known as "Britain's Schindler".

Royal Mail said Sir Nicholas, from Berkshire, was "definitely among the subjects for future consideration".

The campaign has been organised by Jewish News. Backers include Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) including Conservative ex-minister Eric Pickles and Labour MP Gisela Stuart.

Rabbi Mirvis said: "We frequently quote that famous truism 'all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing', yet we are rarely blessed to come across an individual who so emphatically triumphed over evil with such dignity and character."

Jewish News editor Justin Cohen said: "We hoped to get many thousands supporting us but it has gone well beyond our readership and well beyond the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) as well."

Sir Nicholas, who lived near Maidenhead, told no one about his pre-war efforts for half a century. He was reunited with some of the children on Esther Rantzen's That's Life TV programme in 1988, after his wife Grete found an old briefcase in the attic with lists of children and letters from their parents.

There is a statue of Sir Nicholas at Maidenhead station and he was knighted by the Queen in 2003.

The petition has now attracted more than 67,000 signatures.

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said: "Every year we consider hundreds of subjects for inclusion in the stamp programme. While we do not currently have plans to feature Sir Nicholas on a stamp, he is definitely among the subjects for future consideration."

[Chris from Nailsea]

A long article from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), so I've selected parts of the text:

Nicholas Winton memorial service honours Holocaust hero

A memorial service has been held for Sir Nicholas Winton, who rescued hundreds of children from the Holocaust in the months before World War Two.

Some 28 of those he saved as children were among 400 people who attended the event at London's Guildhall, along with Czech, Slovak and UK^▸ (United Kingdom) government representatives.

Sir Nicholas organised the "Kindertransport" in which 669 mostly Jewish children came to Britain by train from Czechoslovakia in 1939.

He died on 1 July last year, aged 106.

The Kindertransport became public knowledge on BBC TV show That's Life in 1988 when presenter Esther Rantzen reunited some of those saved with the person who helped them escape the Nazis.

Many of the children went on to have their own families and the number currently alive as a result of the Kindertransport is believed to be about 7,000.

Sir Nicholas was born Nicholas Wertheimer in 1909 to Jewish parents
By 1938 he was a young stockbroker in London
He dropped everything to go to Prague to help Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi occupation
Sir Nicholas organised foster families for Jewish children in Britain, placing adverts in newspapers
The 669 children travelled on eight trains across four countries
Sir Nicholas's team persuaded British custom officials to allow all the children in despite incomplete documentation

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Sir Nicholas Winton's treasures to be auctioned


Sir Nicholas Winton is regarded as a hero for saving the lives of hundreds of children

Treasures of Kindertransport hero Sir Nicholas Winton, including a 105th birthday message from the Queen, are to be sold at auction.

Sir Nicholas, who died last year aged 106, brought Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to safety in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).

In 1939 Sir Nicholas organised the rescue of 669 Jewish children destined for Nazi concentration camps, arranging for trains to carry them out of German-occupied Prague.