"Britain's Schindler," Now 98, Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for Saving 669 Jewish Children from Extermination in WWII
"I never thought that what I did 70 years ago was going to have such a big impact as apparently it has. I think the Nobel Peace Prize is something that is quite out of my category."
(United Kingdom)—Just before the outbreak of WWII, Sir Nicholas Winton helped at least 669 Jewish children flee from Czechoslovakia before they were shipped off to concentration camps. Once they arrived in Britain, he saw to it that the children were adopted into foster families. (Photo: AP)
Now, the 98-year-old Winton has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Said Sir Nicholas: "I never thought that what I did 70 years ago was going to have such a big impact as apparently it has. I think the Nobel Peace Prize is something that is quite out of my category."
According to a BBC report, Winton's story didn't come to light until his wife (who herself didn't know) found some correspondence to him in their attic in 1988 referring to his efforts to save the children. Subsequently, Winton was dubbed "Britain's Schindler." A film has been made on his life and an asteroid named after him.
Most remarkable is the fact the descendants of the children he saved are now estimated to be about 5,000.
