Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved Jewish children from the Holocaust, has passed away

Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved more than 650 Czechoslovak children from certain death in Nazi camps, has passed away at the age of 106. The Associated Press reports that Winton’s son-in-law has announced the news.  

During 1938 and 1939, Winton organized the departure of Jewish children from Czechoslovakia for Britain and took care of all the formalities necessary for transporting them by rail. On 1 July 1939, exactly 76 years ago, the train with the largest number of these children departed Prague.  

The BBC reports that 241 children on that train made it to safety. After the war, the London native made his living as a stockbroker.

Even Winton’s closest relatives had no idea of his wartime heroism. The story did not reach public awareness until the BBC filmed a touching reunion between him and the "children" whom he saved.

Winton’s half-forgotten deeds were the subject of a feature-length drama by Slovak director Matej Mináč entitled "All My Loved Ones" (Všichni moji blízcí – 1999). Mináč also made the documentary "The Power of Good – Nicholas Winton" (Síla lidskosti), which paid tribute to him in 2002, and a third film, the feature-length drama "Nicky’s Family" (Nickyho rodina) in 2011.  

For his good deeds, Winton has received several state honors and a knighthood. Czech President Václav Havel gave him the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk in 1998.

Czech President Miloš Zeman gave Winton the highest state honor, the Order of the White Lion, last year. Winton has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.