Exhibition reveals ‘little-known’ story of child survivors in Loughton

A new exhibition will focus on the ‘little-known’ story of child Holocaust survivors sent to Loughton after the Second World War.

Epping Forest District Museum will host the special exhibition, which charts how in 1945 more than 700 orphans were brought over from Theresienstadt to the Lake District for rehabilitation, before being sent to hostels across the UK.

The institutions include Holmehurst Hostel in Loughton, where 23 of the children – known as The Boys – continued to be cared for as they recovered from their experience in the concentration camps.

Sir Ben Helfgott, Gary Winogrodski, Roman Halter and Harry Spiro were among the children who arrived at Holmehurst.

Angela Cohen, chairman of the 45 Aid Society, said of the exhibition, which includes video testimonies from the survivors: “It tells the stories of those orphaned child survivors who were lucky enough to stay at Holmehurst hostel, where the staff and local community helped in their recuperation and recovery after the horrors they had experienced during the Holocaust.”

The free exhibition runs 17 May to 4 September, www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/museum