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| Near Windermere, central Lakeland (UK) |
'The Windermere Boys' were young Jewish survivors of the Holocaust of WW2. After the end of the war they came from the horrors of the death camps to this green and pleasant land. There was a life worth living after all.
In August 1945 approximately 300 young Jewish boys, survivors of the European Holocaust of WW2, were airlifted to RAF Crosby-on-Eden near Carlisle. They were taken onwards by coach through the green and pleasant land of the English Lake District to the hosel at Calgarth, Windermere. After the horrors of the Holocaust, the war, the loss of close family and friends and starvation these young Jewish boys had found a haven. Or was this Heaven that they had found?
This group of children became known as 'The Windermere Boys'. For once, they had a bed to sleep in with clean, white, bed sheets There was food on the table - and seemingly pleanty of it. This may have been wartime Britain with strict rationing in force. But for some of these children who had known real hunger in the concentration camps regular food on the table was a luxury. Many of the children used to stash food away in case this the time arrived when, once again, there was no food on the table!
'The Windermere Boys' also found freedom, fresh air, green fields and blue skies, at least some of the time - this was Lakeland after all. 'The Windermere Boys' did not stay in Windermere for long. The orphaned boys were found homes throughout Britain, with many finding a home among the Jewish commuity around Manchester and Salford.
But the first days of welcome freedom at Windermere were not forgotten. The Manchester Jewish Museum in connection with the Lake District Holocaust Project, Windermere has collected together an archive of the memories of many of these 'Windermenre Boys'. Contemporary artists in the fields of music, painting, photographs and images have interpreted the collective memory of the 'Boys' to tell their story to the modern world. This was a story waiting to be told and one that should be widely known.
first seen here.
This group of children became known as 'The Windermere Boys'. For once, they had a bed to sleep in with clean, white, bed sheets There was food on the table - and seemingly pleanty of it. This may have been wartime Britain with strict rationing in force. But for some of these children who had known real hunger in the concentration camps regular food on the table was a luxury. Many of the children used to stash food away in case this the time arrived when, once again, there was no food on the table!
'The Windermere Boys' also found freedom, fresh air, green fields and blue skies, at least some of the time - this was Lakeland after all. 'The Windermere Boys' did not stay in Windermere for long. The orphaned boys were found homes throughout Britain, with many finding a home among the Jewish commuity around Manchester and Salford.
But the first days of welcome freedom at Windermere were not forgotten. The Manchester Jewish Museum in connection with the Lake District Holocaust Project, Windermere has collected together an archive of the memories of many of these 'Windermenre Boys'. Contemporary artists in the fields of music, painting, photographs and images have interpreted the collective memory of the 'Boys' to tell their story to the modern world. This was a story waiting to be told and one that should be widely known.
first seen here.
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