1938 - 1939

PowerPoint Show by Andrew

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On the night of Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, across Germany and Austria, thousands of synagogues and Jewish businesses were burned or ransacked by Nazi storm-troopers and civilians in a pogrom known as Kristallnacht — the Night of Broken Glass. At least 91 Jews were murdered, and tens of thousands were arrested and taken to concentration camps, marking the beginning of the Holocaust.

In response, British Jews and Quakers made an emergency appeal to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, asking for the government to allow the admission of unaccompanied child refugees. A bill was quickly passed by the government.

Within days, the Refugee Children’s Movement and other groups sent representatives to Germany and Austria to organize the relocation of the children most at risk of persecution. The effort was informally dubbed the Kindertransport. The BBC broadcast a call for foster homes.

Dec. 2, 1938 - Some of the first unaccompanied child refugees to arrive in England as part of the Kindertransport.

A refugee is met by a Kindertransport agent.

German-Jewish girl Helga Samuel is met by a Kindertransport agent upon arriving in Harwich.

1939 - Travel documents for children rescued in the Kindertransport.

A young refugee arrives at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

Josepha Salmon, 8, arrives at Harwich on her way to the Dovercourt holiday camp.

Young refugee Max Unger arrives at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

A German refugee studies English at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

A refugee takes a much-deserved rest after arriving at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

Refugees rest after arriving safely at Dovercourt holiday camp.

A German Jewish girl, newly arrived at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

Refugees at their accommodations in England.

A camp leader rings the dinner bell for refugees at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

Refugees are served lunch at the Dovercourt Bay Holiday Camp near Harwich in Essex.

Etonian schoolboys give singing lessons to a group of Jewish refugees at Dovercourt holiday camp.

A refugee plays soccer at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

Miss W. Herford leads refugee children on a walk at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

A refugee rings the dinner bell at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

German-Jewish teeangers serve lunch at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

Jewish refugees eat lunch at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

A refugee at Dovercourt.

A refugee at the Dovercourt holiday camp.

Refugees arrive in England aboard the American ocean liner "Manhattan."

Four of a group of 250 refugees arrive at Southampton. Of the 250 refugees, 88 were unaccompanied children.

11-year-old Otto Busch of Vienna with Mr. and Mrs. Guest, his host family in England.

Jewish refugees at Harris House in Southport, Lancashire.

Refugees play on the grounds of Dane Court Farm, which Sir Edmund Davies has turned into a school and refuge.