Sir Nicholas Winton: Savior of the Kindertransport

Sir Nicholas Winton rescued hundreds of Jewish children during World War II.

Born on May 19, 1909, in Hampstead, London, he grew up there and attended school before starting a career in banking across Europe. His work took him to Germany, France, and then back to England, where he became a broker at the London Stock Exchange in the 1930s. As the Nazi Party rose to power, Nicholas became deeply concerned about the dangers it posed. He joined a group of friends who shared his fears about the growing threat.

In 1938, at the age of 29, Nicholas traveled to Prague with a colleague who was volunteering at a refugee camp. When he saw the camp’s poor conditions, his heart went out to the refugees, especially the children. While volunteers were working to help adults escape, no one was focusing on the children, many of whose parents could not afford to leave. Nicholas decided to act. He created his own organization to help Jewish children at risk from the Nazis, setting up an office in a local Prague hotel.

News spread quickly that an Englishman was rescuing children. Families lined up outside the hotel, sometimes overnight, hoping Nicholas could save their sons and daughters. With the help of volunteers, Nicholas kept records of each child, building a long list of names by early 1939.

In November 1938, the British House of Commons approved a measure allowing refugees under 17 to enter Britain. This gave Nicholas the opening he needed to bring children to safety. However, each child’s entry required a £50 bond, the equivalent of nearly $3,800 today. Nicholas reached out to wealthy friends and organizations, asking for help. Donations came in, covering the cost for many children.

The next step was finding foster families. Before any child could enter Britain, a home had to be secured. Nicholas placed ads in newspapers and magazines, often showing photos of the children. Many families were moved by the appeal and volunteered to take them in. In addition to arranging travel to Britain, Nicholas wrote to politicians in other countries, urging them to accept refugee children.
The first group of children left Prague on March 14, 1939. They were among eight groups to escape through Nicholas’s rescue effort, later known as the Kindertransport. The ninth group, scheduled to leave on September 3, 1939, was tragically stopped. That day, the Nazis invaded Poland and closed European borders. The children were sent back to Prague, and many likely perished in concentration camps.

In total, Nicholas Winton successfully brought 669 children to Britain and found them safe homes. Today, an estimated 6,000 descendants owe their lives to his actions.

When World War II began, Nicholas joined the Royal Air Force’s Administrative and Special Duties Branch. He served as both an aircraftman and a pilot officer and later held the honorary rank of flight lieutenant. After the war, he worked for the International Refugee Organization and later for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Paris.

Nicholas Winton lived an extraordinary life of service. He died in 2015 at the age of 106, exactly 76 years after 241 of the children he saved left Prague on one of his Kindertransport trains. His bravery and determination have inspired people around the world, proving that one person can make an enormous difference.

References:
Goldberg, JoAnne. “I Owe Nicholas Winton My Life – Today I’ll Be Thinking of Him.” Kindertransport Association - Remembering the Past, Teaching for the Future, 18 Mar. 2025, kindertransport.org/2024/12/i-owe-nicholas-winton-my-life-today-ill-be-thinking-of-him/.
“Nicholas Winton and the Rescue of Children from Czechoslovakia, 1938–1939 .” Holocaust Encyclopedia, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/nicholas-winton-and-the-rescue-of-children-from-czechoslovakia-1938-1939.
“Sir Nicholas Winton.” Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, 28 June 2023, hmd.org.uk/resource/sir-nicholas-winton/.

Key words:
Civil Rights, Justice, Courage, Perseverance, Freedom, Responsibility, Make a Difference, Take Risks for Others

Image Citation:
Public Domain

Explore ARTEFFECT projects about this Unsung Hero:
Sir Nicholas Winton Artworks

View Discovery Award projects about this Unsung Hero:
Sir Nicholas Winton - Discovery Award 2018