ED: Well there was a very bad persecution when I was there, when I was about ten, eleven years old, in the early 40’s, when we had a terrible uprising. That was awful. It started one afternoon and my cousin came, they usually came at any time, and he said, shouting, “Batten [down] your windows … Read more
Int: Today is the 18th May 2015, and we are here to interview Esperance David. Hello Esperance. ED: Hello. Int: Could you begin and tell us when you were born? ED: The 7th of May, 1929. (laughter). Int: Where were you born? And what was your name at birth? ED: I was born in Baghdad, … 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
I was born in the town of Chemnitz in South East Germany. I do not recollect my very early years but in 1933 my father lost his job in Chemnitz and we moved to a small town called Neukirchen, about five miles from Chemnitz. My parents bought a semi-detached house with a large piece of … Read more
KH: I grew up in Budapest with my granny and my aunt. At the age of sixteen my granny, my aunt and I were allowed to leave the country and go to Israel where I lived until I came to Scotland when I was…I think thirty-five when I arrived in Scotland. INT: So tell me a … Read more
Dorrith describes leaving school and her early working life. She explains what happened to other members of her family. Read the Transcript INT: During the war, you would still be at school and after the war ended what happened? D.S: Well, what happened was I actually left school when I was fifteen for which I … Read more
Dorrit describes the events surrounding Kristallnacht and the Kindertransport. Read the Transcript. INT: Good afternoon Dorrith. It’s the 26th of September 2010 and I’m here to talk to Dorrith Sim. Dorrith, could you begin by telling us when and where you were born and what was your name at birth? D.S: I was born in … Read more
In this section Bob gives details of his brother’s work as a French spy and of his own efforts to get out of Italy and reach Britain. INT1: You were in Milan BK: Yea, this is the, the high and low point of our family life really. Um my brother got himself sort of conscripted. … Read more
In this section Bob describes his childhood. He was born in Germany into a Polish-Jewish family. The family moved to France and then to Italy when Hitler came to power in 1933. INT2: When were you born and what was your name when you were born? BK: My name was Norbert Kutner, and I was … Read more