Henny Franks served during the Second World War and today she’s been awarded medals for her service (Picture: AJEX/PA)
A Jewish woman who fled the Nazis and joined the British Army has been awarded with medals she didn’t even know she was entitled to.
Henny Franks was a teenager when she left Cologne, west Germany, on the Kindertransport to join her family already living in England.
She was keen to help the war effort and volunteered for the Auxiliary Territorial Service – the women’s branch of the Army – as a truck driver at a munitions factory.
And while celebrating her 100th birthday today, she’s been presented with two medals for her service.
The surprise ceremony took place at the Jewish Care Holocaust Survivors’ Centre in London, where Henny was awarded the Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45 together with her HM Armed Forces Veteran Badge.
The ceremony was organised by AJEX, The Jewish Military Association, which reunites Jewish veterans and their relatives with their war medals.
AJEX JMA national chair Dan Fox attended the event and 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.
Henny served in the women’s branch of the British Army (Picture: AJEX/PA)
She’s celebrated her 100th birthday today (Picture: AJEX/PA)
She was surprised with medals for her service (Picture: AJEX/PA)
‘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.’
Henny said she was ‘overcome with joy’ to finally receive the medals and said it had been an ‘amazing’ day.
In 2021 Henny spoke to SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, to mark VE Day and describe the experiences of her and her family.
She said: ‘I had a lot of extended family. Sadly many, who were living in Cologne and moved onto Poland were killed by the Nazis.
‘About 80 percent went to concentration camps, children as well.
‘My uncle and aunt in England had four children, the youngest the same age as me. One son was in the Army, one daughter in the ATS, and the youngest went into the WAAF [Women’s Auxiliary Air Force].
‘I too was asked to do war work and as I didn’t know any better, I said I’ll go in the Army.
‘I am still proud I’ve been in the Army. I’ve done my bit. I love England very much.
‘I drove trucks, big ones, with all things hanging out the back. As the weapons came they had to be taken to certain places.
‘I was proud to be part of the war effort against the Nazis. I fought back.
Dan Fox presented her with the medals (Picture: AJEX/PA)
These are Henny’s wartime enlistment documents (Picture: AJEX/PA)
‘When I was in the Army, I found out my mother was in Belgium, hidden with her two brothers. I was given 10 days leave so I made my way with some British soldiers who were going back and forth.
‘It was very emotional – so emotional. She told me how she and my father had been smuggled into Belgium and when the war started there they went into the South of France.
‘But then as the trouble started in that region, the French there rounded up Jewish people for the Nazis.
‘My mother went into the street and saw my father being pushed onto some ramps. He shouted to her “I’ll see you in England”.
‘That was the last thing he ever said to her. Sadly he never made it. He was sent to Sobibor, a Nazi extermination camp.
‘My mother never knew what happened to him and I’m glad.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
‘As the “greatest generation” become fewer, lasting recognition of their service and commitment is more important than ever.’