After 68 years, daughter of Anne Frank's classmate finally gets her chance to thank the British officer who saved her mother from Nazi concentration camp

  • Leonard Berney, 93, was one of the first through the gates at Bergen Belsen
  • He rescued Nanette Blitz Konig, who Frank wrote about in her famous diary
  • The two schoolgirls saw each other at the concentration camp
  • Her daughter called Mr Berney, himself Jewish, an 'amazing man'

The daughter of a Jewish classmate of Anne Frank rescued from the horrors of Bergen Belsen concentration camp has met the British officer who saved her mother's life.

Grateful Elizabeth Kahn, 59, flew to Israel to meet Major Leonard Berney, 93, from Plymouth, Devon, and present him with a special silver platter paid for by the family in recognition of his heroics.

Jewish Leonard, of the British 11th Armoured division, was one of the first army officers through the gates of Belsen when the camp was liberated on April 15, 1945.

Before the Holocaust: A school photo from 1941 shows Nanette, aged 12, a classmate of Anne Frank
Anne Frank, whose poignant memoirs were discovered after her death and published

Before the Holocaust: A school photo from 1941 shows Nanette Blitz Konig (left), aged 12, a classmate of Anne Frank (right)

Recognition: Elizabeth Kahn, 59, with Major Leonard Berney, 93, in Haifa, Israel. The former British Army officer rescued her mother Nanette Blitz Konig from the hell of Bergen Belsen

Recognition: Elizabeth Kahn, 59, with Major Leonard Berney, 93, in Haifa, Israel. The former British Army officer rescued her mother Nanette Blitz Konig from the hell of Bergen Belsen

It is estimated that 50,000 inmates died in the notorious northwest German camp between 1941 and 1945. Elizabeth's mother, Nanette Blitz Konig, 84, from Holland and who was mentioned in Anne Frank's world-famous diary, was in the horror camp and acted as translator for Leonard.

At the then 16-year-old's request, the Major sent a letter to her relatives in north London to tell them she was alive before helping her get flown to safety.

The war hero visited Mrs Blitz Konig in London in 1949 to make sure she was safe and that was the last time they had any contact.

Mr Berney, who worked in the clothing industry after the war until his retirement in 1977 and now lives on a cruise ship, said: 'It was a complete surprise to meet Elizabeth and to remember the story about me and her mother.

'I must admit, I do not remember much about the specific story as I was very busy handling so many prisoners at the time and working on an enormous amount of stuff.'

Leonard Berney, pictured in 1939 in London, was one of the first in when Bergen Belsen was liberated by the Allies
A London Evening Star article mentioning Major Berney in September 1945

Leonard Berney, pictured in 1939 in London, was one of the first in when Bergen Belsen was liberated

he added: 'Having seen the copies of the letters I wrote I must have been keen on helping her. It is incredible. I am very happy that the mum survived and has had a happy life with a wonderful family.

'I must have used her as a translator as she spoke English, I would have done that as most people there did not and it would have been helpful.

'I followed up on her as well afterwards in London so I must have taken an interest. I was very honoured and grateful to the family for giving me the silver plate. It was very touching.'

Nanette Blitz Konig, 84 and husband John, 86, at home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She said the Major was a key reason she survived

Nanette Blitz Konig, 84 and husband John, 86, at home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She said the Major was a key reason she survived

Leonard Berney in 2008 in Spain
Major Berney was decorated for his efforts at the concentration camp

Major Berney, pictured in Spain in 2008, was decorated for his efforts at the concentration camp

Mrs Blitz Konig, 84, who has lived in Sao Paolo, Brazil, since 1953 and has three children, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren, said: 'He was a big factor in the reason I did survive.

'The amazing thing is amidst this absolute horrendous overwhelming situation which no normal person can ever understand, he saw the time to help me.

'I asked him to write a letter to my aunties but wasn't to know that he actually did.

'The British forces were not prepared for anything they saw, nobody can ever be prepared for something like that.

'Whoever came out of this horrendous war were traumatised out of their minds. You cannot just shake it off, the human mind doesn't have a delete button.'

A family portrait in 1963. Mrs Blitz Konig and husband John with daughter Judith, left, 6, Elizabeth, middle, 9, and son John, aged one

A family portrait in 1963. Mrs Blitz Konig and husband John with daughter Judith, left, 6, Elizabeth, middle, 9, and son John, aged one

Act of kindness: A letter written by Leonard on April 21 1945 to Nanette's aunties in London informing them she was alive.
Major leonard initially tried to have young Nanette flown to the UK

Act of kindness: A letter written by Leonard on April 21 1945 to Nanette's aunties in London informing them she was alive.

The inscription reads: 'Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world'

The inscription reads: 'Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world'

A family photo in 1938. Nanette, aged nine, is in the front row in the dress in the middle

A family photo in 1938. Nanette, aged nine, is in the front row in the dress in the middle

Anne Frank died in Bergen Belsen in March 1945 but her wartime notes, 'The Diary of a Young Girl' gained international fame.

Mrs Blitz Konig said of her friend: 'In 1941 in Holland they organised 25 schools for Jewish students. I was in the same school as Anne Frank which was a coincidence.

ANNE FRANK'S DIARY: A CHRONICLE OF A VICTIM OF THE HOLOCAUST

This photo taken in 1940 shows Anne Frank at the age of 12 years, sitting at her desk at the Montessori school in Amsterdam

Anne Frank wrote her diary while in hiding from Nazi persecution during World War II.

The Frank family moved to Amsterdam from Germany in 1933.

By 1940 the Nazis had occupied the Netherlands, leaving the family trapped.

In 1942 the family went into hiding in the hidden rooms of Otto Frank's office building

But after two years the group were anonymously betrayed and were sent to their deaths at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where Anne died of typhus in 1945.

Otto Frank, Anne's father, returned to Amsterdam after the war and discovered her diary had been saved. It was published in 1947, leading to her posthumous fame.

'I am the only one in that class who met her again in Bergen Belsen. I was in camp seven and she was in camp eight, I saw her through the barbed wire.

'I met her several times and it was from Anne that I learnt what was happening in Auschwitz.

'She told me about her diary and that she wanted to use it for a book after the war, she never wanted to publish a diary.

'I don't know how we recognised each other as we were both skeletons.'

Miami-based Elizabeth contacted Leonard's son, John Wood, 53, of East Grinstead, West Sussex, on Facebook to try and arrange a meeting.

Elizabeth, who is making a documentary about the experience, said: 'It was wonderful to meet him, amazing.

'Initially when I heard he was alive and speaking on Belsen I almost passed out. It was very emotional.

'He played such an important and enormous role in my mother's survival.

'He really tried to get her to England but she was flown on an RAF plane to Holland and that was his doing. He must have been involved.

'He recognised his writing and the letters and was thrilled.

'It was great to go back to Israel after 30 years and speak to him. He rarely shows emotion but if you read between the lines you can see the pain. It is an extraordinary story.

'He was absolutely the typical English army officer, an amazing man. I think he is open and ready to meet the rest of the family.'


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