In mid-August 1945, hundreds of young Jews, survivors of the Nazi Holocaust, posed for three remarkable photographs in front of Jan Hus memorial.
Those standing in front of the memorial were to become known as “The Boys”: the photographs of them were taken just before they boarded Royal Air Force transport planes and a new life in Britain.
Ten Stirling Aircraft of the RAF’s 196 Squadron flew on August 14 from Prague to Crosby on Eden, near the Lake District, with the first batch of children and their adult escorts.
This May, under the auspices of the 45 Aid Society, some of those in the original pictures — and scores of their children, grand-children and great-grandchildren — will once again gather in Prague, to recreate the historic pictures.
After the war ended, Britain agreed to take in 1,000 orphaned child survivors of the concentration camps. Only 732 could be found — mainly Polish, Hungarian and Czech children — some of whom were liberated from the Czech camp, Theresienstadt.
The young Jews, ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers, were flown to special hostels set up across the UK for rehabilitation and recovery.
The group set up the 45 Aid Society in 1963 to raise money for charitable causes and to give back to society.
Now the 45 Aid’s second and third generation have organised a weekend trip to Prague to celebrate the contribution the young orphans made to British society.
To date around 200 people — including five survivors — have signed up for the event. They will be joined by ambassadors to the Czech Republic from Germany, Israel and Britain.
Author: red
Photo: Wavelength
