Former Prime Minister Theresa May has unveiled a plaque at Maidenhead station, paying a heartfelt tribute to the man known as the ‘British Schindler’.
Great Western Railway (GWR), in partnership with local care provider Abbeyfield Maidenhead, welcomed Baroness May to reveal the impassioned homage to Sir Nicholas Winton, the man who rescued 669 children from Prague on the eve of World War Two.
Sir Nicholas, a Maidenhead resident, found homes and arranged the safe passage of the children, most of them Jewish, to the UK in 1939. The operation later became known as the Czech Kindertransport.
Sir Nicholas’s work went unnoticed for nearly 50 years until he was invited to appear on the TV programme That’s Life in 1988. He was reunited with several of the children he had rescued and became known as the ‘British Schindler’.
In 2003 he was knighted by the Queen for ‘services to humanity, in saving Jewish children from Nazi Germany occupied Czechoslovakia’.
He was later awarded the highest honour of the Czech Republic, the Order of the White Lion (1st class). He passed away in 2015, aged 106.
Members of Sir Nicholas’s family looked proudly on as the brass plaque was dedicated, alongside the famous statue of him on a bench reading his newspaper as he waits for his train. The life-sized statue, which sits on platform 3, was unveiled by the man himself back in 2010 along with Baroness May.
Designed to provide visitors to the station with a valuable insight into Sir Nicholas’s life, the plaque reads:
“Sir Nicholas Winton MBE. 1909-2015.
In 1939 he saved the lives of 669 endangered children, transporting them from Prague to London by rail, which became known as the Czech Kindertransport.
There are many thousands alive today who would not be here but for his actions”
Baroness May said:
“I was pleased to join members of the Winton family and Great Western Railway to unveil a plaque on the Sir Nicholas Winton statue at Maidenhead railway station.
“Passengers often ask who the statue commemorates; now they will know, and in learning his story, they will encounter the quiet courage of an individual whose selflessness saved so many lives.”
Sir Nicholas’s son, Nick Winton, said:
“The plaque to be unveiled at Maidenhead railway station tells the story behind my father’s statue — and it’s fitting that it stands on a platform where trains run from east to west, just as he helped children travel from danger to safety. It’s a reminder of the Power of One person to make a difference.”
Sir Nicolas’s benevolence didn’t stop with the end of the war. After moving to Maidenhead with his family, Nicky, as he was affectionately known, became heavily involved with charitable organisations in the area along with his wife Grete, with a commitment to improving the lives of those in his new-found community.
Having worked alongside Major Richard Carr-Gomm OBE, the founder of the Abbeyfield Society, Sir Nicholas went on to establish The Abbeyfield (Maidenhead) Society in 1973. His first local project was the creation of a sheltered housing unit for eight people.
This was followed by the opening of Winton House in 1980, offering care and support for an additional 29 residents. Later, having built a strong financial foundation for the Society, Sir Nicholas oversaw the development of a second residential care home, Nicholas House, which opened its doors in 2011.
Chairman of Abbeyfield Maidenhead, David Cager, said:
“I feel incredibly proud to have known Sir Nicholas Winton personally for over 40 years and to continue the legacy he began 50 years ago here in Maidenhead.
“His quiet determination to improve the lives of others – particularly older people in our community – has left a lasting mark on our charity and the town itself.
“The placing of the plaque alongside his statue at Maidenhead station today is a truly special moment. It recognises not only his global humanitarian work, but also the deep and meaningful impact he made locally, creating homes where older people are valued, supported and able to thrive.”
Managing Director of Great Western Railway, Mark Hopwood, said:
“We are so grateful to Baroness May, Sir Nicholas’s family, and Abbeyfield Maidenhead for joining us today to pay tribute to one of history’s greats.
“This year we are marking 200 years of the Railway and how it has enriched communities, shaped society and, in the case of the Kindertransport, even saved lives. It feels incredibly fitting that this year, we celebrate the local man who made a global impact.
“Sir Nicholas’s compassion and resourcefulness meant that 669 children escaped the horrors of World War Two and this plaque will serve as a powerful reminder to all pass through the station, that they are in the company of a quiet hero.”
