Holocaust survivor, veteran and member of Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre, Henny Franks celebrated her 100th birthday in true style, receiving her war medals that she was entitled to from AJEX, a party and a chauffeur-driven tour of London.
Henny, who came to the UK on Kindertransport in 1939 as a Jewish refugee, was called up to serve in the British Army Auxiliary Forces and drove trucks during the war, serving until demob day.
Henny‘s celebrations began early with a chauffeur-driven tour around London together with three young Jewish Care supporters, Rachel, Nicole and Debra who share a birthday or birthday’s close to Henny, celebrated with her. They did carpool karaoke singing ABBA together in the car, donated by UK London Hire and Henny reminisced, pointing out where she met her husband at the Astoria when it was a dance hall.
“That’s where I met my husband, Maurice, at the tea dance. He came up and invited me to dance and asked for my telephone number. He did phone me, and we were very happily married for fifty years.”
Rachel, Nicole and Debra invited their friends to donate to Jewish Care instead of giving a gift for their birthdays.
Next, a party followed for Henny at Jewish Care Holocaust Survivors’ Centre, with friends, staff, volunteers and family, which included speeches, singing and dancing and of course birthday cake. Henny regularly attends Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre, which is part of the Maurice & Vivienne Wohl Campus in Golders Green, and staff and volunteers created an amazing 100th birthday party for Henny.
As part of the celebrations AJEX JMA National Chair, Dan Fox surprised Henny at the party and presented her with The Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45 together with her HM Armed Forces Veteran Badge. Henny never received medals for her service in the war so Dan Fox, the Chair of AJEX The Jewish Military Association presented Holocaust Survivor Henny Franks with Medals from the war that she never knew she was entitled to.
Escaping Nazi persecution, Jewish teenager Henny Franks left Cologne, and came to Britain on the Kindertransport. Henny was proud to be part of the war effort and a member of the women’s branch of the British Army volunteering for the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) for many years until demobbing day. Henny was based at Chilwell where she was taught to drive trucks at the Central Ordnance Depot.
AJEX were made aware during an interview with Henny that she never received her medals and as part of the AJEX Medals campaign they researched what Henny was entitled to.
National Chair Dan Fox said: “It was an honour to surprise Henny today. As the “Greatest Generation” become fewer, lasting recognition of their service and commitment is more important than ever. The restoration and reclamation of medals is a striking way of ensuring this. They are artefacts or personal history, but also meaningful to families, communities and the nation as a whole. They help us remember what veterans went through and to take pride in what they did”.
Daniel Carmel-Brown, Jewish Care CEO said “We are so pleased to wish Henny a happy 100th birthday and to celebrate together with her at Jewish Care’s Holocaust Survivors’ Centre. Henny is a much-loved member of the Centre and tells us that she considers it to be her second home.
“It is an amazing gift and the source of much pride for Henny, as a Holocaust survivor and veteran, to be recognised for her service and receive her war medals through AJEX today.”
Henny said, “I’m so overwhelmed and so happy, I’ve had such a wonderful time, I love everyone at Jewish Care Holocaust Survivors’ Centre and the Michael Sobell Jewish Community Centre and I’ve had a lovely time celebrating with my family and friends!”
Talking about the support she receives at Jewish Care from the staff and volunteers, Henny said, “they are the nicest, nicest people you will ever meet, nothing is too much trouble for them…I can’t shout about it enough!”
The AJEX Medals campaign was recently launched and its aim is to help ensure that any Jewish family who do not have their own or family members’ medals from war and other service can be reunited with them to guarantee the legacy of Jewish service lives on.
Whether you have lost family medals from the World Wars or other conflicts and service
or never claimed your own or your family’s medals, AJEX will help you identify what medals would have been worn and belong to you or your family member. The campaign encourages people to research and claim their family medals.
While the number of Second World War and National Service veterans declines, their families and direct descendants continue to thrive and are active with AJEX. AJEX hopes that many more first-time Parade goers will proudly march wearing these medals at the AJEX JMA Annual Remembrance Parade & Ceremony on 19th November 2023.
To claim and purchase replica medals visit www.ajex.org.uk/medals for instructions, including discount codes. To find out more about how you can Celebrate and twin your birthday with older people supported by Jewish Care, whilst raising money to help older members of the community, visit www.jewishcare.org/henny
For more information on AJEX contact: Natasha@goodmanpr.co.uk / 07944 552725
For more information from Jewish Care contact: Naomi Creeger at Jewish Care 07931 738 312 at ncreeger@jcare.org