| Date | 22 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Type | Other Plaque |
| Subject | Person |
| Plaque | Other |
| Location | Platform 3, GWR Maidenhead railway station — View on Google Maps |
| Reference | PQ-0031 |
| Volume | Blue Plaques |
| Collection | Plaques |
Summary
| Name: | Sir Nicholas George Winton (né Wertheim) MBE |
| Born: | 19 May 1909 |
| Place: | Hampstead, London |
| Died: | 1 Jul 1925 |
| Profession: | Stockbroker and Humanitarian |
| Educated: | Stowe School, Stowe, Bucks |
| Famous for: | Nicholas Winton was a British humanitarian. He was best known for organising the rescue of hundreds of Jewish children. These children were from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War. Born in London to German-Jewish parents who had converted to Christianity, Winton worked as a stockbroker in the City. In December 1938, he was planning a skiing holiday. During this time, he learned of the growing refugee crisis. This crisis followed the German occupation of the Sudetenland. He chose not to travel to the Alps. Instead, he went to Prague. There, he engaged in efforts to help families save their children. These families faced the escalating threat of Nazi persecution. Winton worked largely from a makeshift office in his hotel in Prague. Later, he continued from his home in London. He organised what became known as the Czech Kindertransport. He arranged safe passage for children to Britain. He found foster families willing to take them in. He raised the funds required to secure their visas and transport. Between March and August 1939, eight trains carrying 669 children successfully reached Britain. A ninth train, scheduled to depart on 1 September 1939—the day Germany invaded Poland—was unable to leave, and most of the children on that transport were later murdered during the Holocaust. For nearly fifty years, Winton spoke little about what he had done. His work came to public attention in 1988 when his wife discovered a scrapbook documenting the rescue operation. That year he appeared on the BBC programme That’s Life!, where he was reunited with several of the people whose lives he had saved. In recognition of his extraordinary humanitarian efforts, Winton received numerous honours, including a knighthood in 2003 from Elizabeth II. Often called the “British Schindler,” he remained modest about his achievements. He insisted that many others had also played important roles in the rescue effort. A film titled One Life tells his story in 2024. It is based on his biography of the same name. His daughter Barbara wrote the biography. |
Images
Curator's Notes
“Sir Nicholas Winton” on the Maidenhead Heritage Centre website.
See the website dedicated to Sir Nicholas and the trust set up in his name.