A lifetime fighting Facism ended when he passed away after a short illness. I first met him in 1995 when a permanent gallery was set up in the Jewish Museum in North London telling the story of the death of his wife, Esther and three year old son Barney in Aushwitz, he was sent there in 1943 but a strong man who had boxed before the war he was able to survive six different Nazi death camps despite many beatings until he was liberated from Buchenwald by US troops in 1945.
He spoke movingly on many occasions about his experiences to both Jewish organisations and anti Facism groups. He said his will to survive was driven by a desire to tell the world what had happened during the war. In later years he lived with bars on his windows and a sealed up letterbox after attacks by Nazi groups. He stopped getting support from anti fash groups in London when he spoke out against what he called, "the slow, creeping Facism of the Left"
He wrote about his experiences in a book entitled "an Englishman in Auschwitz". One line is memorable, concerning as it does the last time he saw his wife and son,
"The women were separated from the men: Else and Barny were marched about 20 yards away to a queue of women...I tried to watch Else. I could see her clearly against the blue lights. She could see me too for she threw me a kiss and held up our child for me to see. What was going through her mind I will never know. Perhaps she was pleased that the journey had come to an end."
He spoke movingly on many occasions about his experiences to both Jewish organisations and anti Facism groups. He said his will to survive was driven by a desire to tell the world what had happened during the war. In later years he lived with bars on his windows and a sealed up letterbox after attacks by Nazi groups. He stopped getting support from anti fash groups in London when he spoke out against what he called, "the slow, creeping Facism of the Left"
He wrote about his experiences in a book entitled "an Englishman in Auschwitz". One line is memorable, concerning as it does the last time he saw his wife and son,
"The women were separated from the men: Else and Barny were marched about 20 yards away to a queue of women...I tried to watch Else. I could see her clearly against the blue lights. She could see me too for she threw me a kiss and held up our child for me to see. What was going through her mind I will never know. Perhaps she was pleased that the journey had come to an end."
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What a guy!
17.03.2008 23:21
As a tribute, everyone should get out there and expose the Nazi BNP in the run-up to the elections this May, as he would be doing if he were still around.
RIP Leon Greenman.
Marie