Geraldine talks about the increasing difficulties facing her mother and her grandmother as the war progressed. She describes their time in Theresienstadt and then in Auschwitz where her mother’s skills saved her life, when she was forced to draw for the notorious Dr Mengele. INT: That’s interesting. And life obviously changed very significantly for your … Read more
INT: Today is 25th of November 2015, and I’m here to speak with Geraldine Shenkin, who is going to tell me a little about her mother, Mrs Marianne Grant. Geraldine describes her mother’s background in Czechoslovakia by reading from Marianne Grant’s autobiography. She goes on to talk about her mother’s great love for drawing and … Read more
Edith describes the many highpoints in her life and her one main regret. INT: And have you ever wanted to go back to Germany since? Since that last meeting with your father? EF: No, no. I did go with a couple of groups when we took students and I had a very good head of … Read more
Edith talks about her new life in Kirkcaldy and her education. She describes her reaction when she finally met her birth father again. INT: And what about going to school after that? EF: Well that was… INT: You still only spoke German? EF: Yes, well they put me in the infant class to learn English … Read more
Edith describes her journey to Britain and arriving in London. She then talks about arriving in Scotland and meeting the gentleman and lady who soon became her beloved Mum and Dad. INT: So how did you come to Scotland then? How did that happen? EF: Well, when we arrived…I’d never been on a boat before … Read more
Edith describes her family background and how she felt when her mother told her she was leaving Germany. She explains that she was too young to realise that her parents were not coming with her. She tells the interviewer about the Gestapo’s visit to her home. She then speaks about the fate of her Jewish … Read more
Bob talks about the reasons he sees himself as Scottish and reflects on his good fortune in life. INT: You sound so much like just an average Scots person, you really do. Do you think of yourself at all as German anymore? BM: No INT: Not at all? BM: Not a bit. INT: When did … Read more
In 1990, near the end of my service, I was working on a contract in the Outer Hebrides when I saw a letter in The Sunday Post asking if anyone knew anything about the Kindertransport to contact the person below. Coming home for the weekend, I phoned the number listed and spoke to Dorrith Sim. … Read more
Bob starts work and moves to Renfrew as an apprentice mechanical engineer. He changes his name to Mackenzie to thank the family who rescued his sister and him. He learns about the survival of his parents and the death of his grandfather. He marries and then joins the RAF. He describes his mother’s first visit … Read more
Bob loses his German but becomes proficient in English. BM:Once the war started we were only allowed to write twenty-five words per month through the Red Cross. When war broke out Janet joined the Land Army and Jessie looked after the house. So over the years one can say that Jessie virtually brought us up. … Read more