Shoah survivors reunited with RAF pilot 70 years after historic Prague rescue
16 surviving members of ‘The Boys’ were brought together with Norman Shepherd, the RAF serviceman who flew them to Britain in August 1945.
45 Aid Society survivors in emotional reunion with Norman Shepherd after 74 years apart, as Home Secretary promises Victoria Tower Gardens Holocaust memorial will ‘absolutely’ be built
16 surviving members of ‘The Boys’ were reunited last night with the RAF serviceman who flew them to Britain in August 1945.
Norman Shepherd was just 20 when he received orders to collect 732 surviving children from Prague and fly them to Crosby, near the Lake District. The Jewish survivor group later formed the 45 Aid Society, to raise money for survivors and teach the lessons of the Holocaust.
Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
During an emotional reunion, Mr Shepherd recalled feeling “very pleased” at being able to take the children out of mainland Europe.
“I handed the children chocolate during the plane journey to try to cheer them up,” he said.
“At first, they thought I was going to beat them- for they’d never known kindness from a man in uniform. But once they saw I wasn’t going to hurt them they flung their arms around me and hugged me.”
In a touching moment, the 94-year-old recreated that scene by handing each survivor a piece of chocolate, smiling as he met them individually on stage.
Speaking to The Jewish News, Harry Spiro, one of ‘The Boys’, said he felt “overwhelmed with gratitude” upon being reunited with the RAF pilot.
“This has been a very emotional evening for us as survivors,” he added. “I feel happy to be here tonight, surrounded by so many generations, and I feel very optimistic for the future.”
Judge Robert Rinder, grandson of one of ‘The Boys’ Moishe Malenicky, thanked the RAF veteran “for being our shepherd and delivering us to safety.”
The 300 guests, gathered at their annual reunion dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Wembley, also heard from Sajid Javid who said he could think of “few things more important than teaching one’s children the lessons of the Holocaust.”
“I think it is so important for the younger generation to hear stories of the Holocaust, especially if they’re privileged enough to hear them from survivors as it makes them a witness to what happened. If we want the next generation not to forget the horrors of the Holocaust we need our children to learn.”
The Home Secretary also recalled bringing his family to hear the story of Harry Spiro after briefly meeting him at a Holocaust Education Trust dinner.
To great applause, Mr Javid also promised the proposed Holocaust memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens “will absolutely happen”, adding that it was most important “for parliamentarians today and in future generations to have a constant reminder of what happens when politics and society goes wrong.”
This weekend members of ‘The Boys’- along with dozens of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren- will return to Prague to recreate the iconic photographs taken in front of the Jan Hus memorial in August 1945.
The group’s itinerary also includes Friday night dinner in the Jewish Quarter and a visit to the Theresienstadt concentration camp.
Reflecting on the evening, Lord Pickles said: “Tonight has made clear just what a great loss Europe faced 70 years ago as so much potential happiness and creativity was wiped away by bigotry. There can be no doubt that ‘The Boys’ have made this country a better place for everyone.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
-
By Brigit Grant
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)