Esther Rantzen's TV Moment Shed Light on WWII Hero Nicholas Winton

Dame Esther Rantzen, who passed away at 86, is remembered for her extensive charitable work, including founding Childline and The Silver Line. However, one of her most impactful career moments involved bringing the story of Nicholas Winton, a British stockbroker who rescued hundreds of children during World War II, to public attention.

In 1987, Winton's wife discovered a scrapbook in their attic containing photographs and names of children he had helped escape Czechoslovakia for Britain before the war. Winton, then 29, facilitated the rescue of 669 children, primarily Jewish, by train. He secured sponsorship and homes for them through a law enacted after Kristallnacht.

In a notable segment on Rantzen's BBC consumer affairs show "That's Life," Winton was reunited with many of the children he had saved, as well as their families. The show, known for its mix of lighthearted segments and investigative journalism, also featured Rantzen's own memorable moments, such as being arrested for tasting "bat soup" or encouraging a pensioner to try champagne.

The "That's Life" episode on February 28, 1988, featured Winton, unaware of the surprise planned by Rantzen. He recognized Rudolf Wessely in the audience, a teacher who had been on one of the Kindertransport trains from Prague. However, the woman seated next to him, Vera Gissen, was also a child he had helped evacuate in 1939. The program revealed her identity, and she embraced a visibly moved Winton, thanking him for saving her life.

Rantzen then revealed that two more children Winton had saved, Hanusch Schnabl and Milena Fleischmann (later Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines), were also in the audience. The presenter told Winton, "I know you don't want thanks, but you're certainly going to get them."

Following this broadcast, Winton became a national hero, with the Daily Mail comparing him to Oskar Schindler. A subsequent "That's Life" segment on July 3, 1988, revealed that dozens more individuals in the audience owed their lives to his efforts.

Winton's humanitarian work began in 1938 when he traveled to Prague to assist Czech refugee groups. He was instrumental in organizing what became known as the Kindertransport operation, which ultimately rescued about 10,000 children. He helped cover costs, managed bureaucracy, and reportedly forged documents to overcome delays. The first train departed on March 14, 1939, just before the Nazi occupation. Eight trains succeeded in leaving, with children being settled with British families. The final train, scheduled for September 1, 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland, was canceled, and of the 250 children aboard, only two are believed to have survived, a fact that haunted Winton.

After the war, Winton worked for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He lived a quiet life for decades, never speaking of his Prague mission until his wife discovered the scrapbook. Rantzen remained in contact with Winton, and they reunited for an ITV documentary in 2003. Rantzen believed his humility stemmed from the trauma of the canceled final train.

Nicholas Winton died in 2015 at the age of 106. His legacy is honored with statues in Prague and Maidenhead, the Czech Republic's Order of the White Lion, and a biopic, "One Life," which recreated the "That's Life" reunions. The film's epilogue noted that the audience in its recreated scene comprised individuals alive due to his actions, many of whom traveled from other countries to pay tribute.