105 Yr Old RAF Vet honoured

[racedo]

BBC News - Nicholas Winton honoured by Czechs for saving children from Nazis (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29798434)

A British man who saved 669 children, most of them Jews, from the Nazis has been awarded the Czech Republic's highest state honour.
Sir Nicholas Winton was 29 when he arranged trains to take the children out of occupied Czechoslovakia and for foster families to meet them in London.
The 105-year-old was given the Order of the White Lion by the Czech president during a ceremony at Prague Castle.

[snippy]

Saw the BIG :D Czech plane today that carried him over there on the pan at a secret airbase in Oxon.....

[Vendee]

I listened to the report on Radio 4 this morning and they said he was almost unknown in the UK but highly respected in the Czech Republic. You have to wonder..... why did they wait until he was 105? No disrespect intended but it seems they were cutting it a bit fine to honour this exceptional gentleman.

[Tankertrashnav]

Not quite true that he was almost unknown in the UK. The BBC showed a clip from an Esther Rantzen programme from back in the 80s or 90s when an invited audience from among those who had been on his Kindertransports in 1939 were recounting some of their experiences. Rantzen said -"If any of you owe your life to Sir Nicholas would you please stand up". Everybody stood up!

I knew about him before but had no idea he had been in the RAF, so I thought it might be interesting to post his war service, taken from Wiki

Winton originally sought registration as a conscientious objector and served with the Red Cross, but in 1940 he rescinded his objection to join the Royal Air Force, Administrative and Special Duties Branch. He was initially an airman, rising to sergeant by the time he was commissioned on 22 June 1944 as an acting pilot officer on probation. On 17 August 1944 he was promoted to pilot officer on probation. He was promoted to the rank of war substantive flying officer on 17 February 1945. He relinquished his commission on 19 May 1954, retaining the honorary rank of flight lieutenant.


A very brave and humble man. Somebody said it was a shame that Spielberg hadn't made a film about him, as well as Oskar Schindler, but I doubt if he would have wanted it.

[Chugalug2]

Vendee:-
why did they wait until he was 105?
The announcement by the Czech Government that he was to receive this award was made on his 105th birthday in May. They had previously honoured him in 1998, and again in 2008, as well as nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize and naming a school after him. In 2009 they unveiled a statue of him at Prague station and ran a period train 70 years to the day that the 9th and final train failed to run, owing to the UK declaration of war. All 250 children due to travel on it probably perished as a result. Oh, and a planet was named in his honour!

I'd say they haven't so much left it late but rather are probably determined to heap more and more honours upon him for as long as he lives...
Nicholas Winton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Winton)

[air pig]

Yet another unsung hero of the Holocaust and a brave Englishman. Served in WW1 and then went into the SIS/MI6.

Frank Foley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Foley)

Nicholas Winton was not allowed the honour of the award of Righteous Amongst Nations by Israel because he had Jewish parentage, unlike Frank Foley.

[Whenurhappy]

105 Yr Old RAF Vet honoured

Hell's Bells. I knew we had some odd trades and branches, but I didn't know we had Vets. Interesting to see he was Admin (SD) Branch - no doubt the most highly recognised Alumnus of that most August Branch. I hope the branch Sponsor sends him a note of congratulations.

[Shackman]

Equally unnoticed (almost) in this country was the unveiling in Prague earlier this year (by Nicholas Soames) of a statue commemorating the members of the Czech Republic who escaped the occupation and joined the RAF during the Second World War, returned after the war as heroes and were then mistreated badly by the communist authorities when they took over. On a recent visit our guide specifically took us - a mixed group - to view it, and stated that the present day population knew almost nothing about their exploits, so ruthlessly had the knowledge been supressed.

[racedo]

Czech Republic who escaped the occupation and joined the RAF during the Second World War, returned after the war as heroes and were then mistreated badly by the communist authorities when they took over.

In Poland I believe 2 years ago they were digging up roads and paths at military bases and finding remains of people who had been executed in late 1940's and then buried late at night under paths and roads. Many would have been those who served in Allied forces during the war and when they returned were picked off by Communists.

[Vendee]

Chugalug..... thanks for the explanation :ok:

[Union Jack]

BZ to Sir Nicholas - with a fair measure of good health and good fortune he could be around for the Royal Air Force's 100th birthday.:ok:

Jack