First children’s transport reaches England in 1938

Description

Ship Prague. First children’s transport reaches England in 1938. photo; licence article; original: 5740×4315; photographer: unknown; rights subject to licence; rights: © Bleek/historiathek/zb-media. The first group of children evacuated from Nazi Germany to Britain in what became known as the Kindertransport arrived at Harwich, Essex, on December 2, 1938. This operation was initiated in response to the increasing persecution of Jews, especially after the Kristallnacht pogrom in November 1938. Approximately 200 children were on that initial transport with the ship Prague. The Kindertransport was organized by the Movement for the Care of Children from Germany, which was supported by the British government and various Jewish and non-Jewish organizations. Over the following months, nearly 10,000 children were transported to safety in the UK, where they were placed with foster families, in hostels, or on farms. This rescue operation continued until the outbreak of World War II in September 1939.