Choosing to act: stories of Holocaust rescues

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cory D. Payne
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  A witness to the Holocaust visited RAF Lakenheath as part of the 2012 Holocaust Remembrance Week at Eagles Landing April 19, 2012.

Geoffrey Perry who was a 12-year-old German Jewish boy when Adolf Hitler came to power, shared his experiences of Nazi held Germany with the Liberty Wing.

Holocaust Remembrance Month is commemorated during the month of April to remember the victims of Nazi Germany during WWII.

Perry's story of Nazi Germany started with a violin.

"I had a brother in the same school who was two years older and he played the violin in the German orchestra and because he was very good, was the first violin," said Perry. "...the first violin was to play the solo piece, but when Hitler came into power, the music teacher, who was a Nazi, told him he could not play a solo piece during the concert."

Perry's brother did not take this news well.

"Peter [Perry's brother] was a single minded brother and told the Nazi teacher, 'If I'm not allowed to play the solo, then I will not play at all,' and teacher said to him, 'You're a Jewish boy so you will do what you're told,' and Peter said 'No,' so he was sent out of the school."

Shortly thereafter, there were threats of Peter being sent to a concentration camp. Perry's father, fearing for his sons' safety, sent Peter to a British boarding school and then sent Perry there a few months after.

From then on, Perry was brought up as an English schoolboy. When WWII broke out, Perry, at the age of 16, was sent to an English internment camp out of concern that because he was not born in England he might be a traitor.

"After a time the English had second thoughts about this [the internment camps] and I joined the army," said Perry. "This is how a German schoolboy became a British soldier."

For six years Perry served in the British Army and became a member of "T" Force. The "T" Force was a unit used to secure and exploit targets that could provide valuable intelligence. During his time in the "T" Force, he took part in the liberation of the concentration camp of Bergen-Belson.

"When I went into the concentration camp I saw a lot of corpses," said Perry, "... a little Jewish man patted my sleeve and asked if I spoke German, I said yes and he handed me a piece of paper with a name. It was his son's name and he asked me if I could find him."

Perry did find the man's son, who was also in the British Army stationed in Canada. Perry later received a message from the son thanking him for finding his family.
Following the war, Perry had a long career in the magazine publishing business where he pioneered new concepts for publishing and distribution.

To thank Perry for sharing his story, the 48th Fighter Wing and 100th Air Refueling Wing presented him with a plaque with two pens to represent his career in publishing after the war.

Col. Kyle Robinson, 48th Fighter Wing commander, closed the luncheon by thanking Perry for speaking and quoted Ret. Admiral Mike Mullen and former Chief of Staff on why the Holocaust should not be forgotten.

"The story of the Holocaust, however ghastly, offers us an opportunity to reflect on responsibilities in life," said Robinson, "it's a chance to remember that what we do, or not do, truly matters."