Sir Nicholas Winton is one of six British Humanitarians
honoured by Royal Mail with stamps
The Royal Mail releases a stamp set honouring British humanitarian who has devoted their lives to helping others. Sir Nicholas Winton, a man who saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish children during the Holocaust, is featured in a new set of stamps.
The six Mint Stamps comprise striking contemporary monochrome portraits of Nicholas Winton; Sue Ryder, John Boyd Orr, Eglantyne Jebb, Joseph Rowntree and Josephine Butler.
Sir Nicholas Winton – A Timeless Example of Truly Brave Humanism
In an operation later known as the Czech Kindertransport (German for “children transportation”), Nicholas Winton organized the rescue of 669 mostly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia just prior to the Second World War. He found foster homes for the children and arranged their safe passage to Britain. At the end of the war, almost all of children he saved children were orphans. They still call themselves “Winton’s children”.
Sir Nicholas Winton with one of the children he saved
For 50 years, Nicholas Winton never spoke about his efforts to rescue these children. It was only after his wife found a scrapbook in their attic containing the records of names and pictures that the rescues were made public. He was then made a member of the Order of the British Empire. He passed away on 1 July 2015 at the age of 106.
Sir Nicholas Winton in 2014
In 2012 in New York and 2014 in Nairobi, the United Nations organized screenings of the film Nicky’s Family to educate audiences about Sir Nicholas and all that he represented. The Holocaust Outreach Programme will continue to keep his legacy alive.
The United Nations is honoured to have been associated with Sir Nicholas Winton through his work with the International Refugee Organisation in 1947.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recognized Sir Nicholas Winton’ extraordinary actions in a condolence letter he wrote to his daughter, Ms. Barbara Winton (full text of the Secretary-General’s letter). “This powerful exercise of personal responsibility during societal calamity can inspire us all as we confront the many crises in our world,” he said.
Sir Nicholas Winton saw himself as an ethical individual who responded as anyone should to the terrible events unfolding around him. The Secretary-General closed his letter by noting that thousands of people are alive thanks to Sir Nicholas Winton, “who left our world a timeless example of truly brave humanism.”
Sir Nicholas Winton with rescued children