Born: Munich, Germany, on 4 February 1922
Profession in country of origin: Student
Arrived in Britain as a refugee from Germany in 1939
Documents
Male enemy alien - Exemption from internment - Refugee Surname: Gaber Forename: Alfred Alias: - Date and place of birth: 04/02/1922 in Munich Nationality: German Police Regn. Cert. No.: 703 255 Home Office ref: Address: Turner's Court Colony, BENSON, Oxon. Normal occupation: Student Present occupation: Trainer Name and address of employer: Under the care of the Movement for the Care of Children from Germany, Bloomsbury House, Bloomsbury Street, London WC1 Decision of tribunal: Full exemption Date 30.10.1939 Whether exempted from Article 6(A): Yes & Article 9 (A) Whether desires to be repatriated: No
Source: National Archives, Home Office: Aliens Department: Internees Index, 1939-1947
Editor’s note: We are not allowed to reproduce National Archives (UK) images, but we are permitted to reproduce the material from them, as shown above.
Memories
A friend who worked with Alfred sent in some notes about him over the last years of his life – extracted below.
Alfred’s father died when he was about two years old and his mother was murdered in one of the Nazi concentration camps. He came to England in January 1939 on the Kindertransport.
Alfred served in the British Army in the Royal Pioneer Corps.
More recently he wrote:
I just wanted to let you know that Alfred Gaeber passed away about two weeks ago. He was doing well, but he … was hospitalized for a short period. … He was 97 years old. I want to thank you for the interest you took in him and all information you sent me, which I shared with him. He was a lovely man, a lonely soul, who never got over what happened to him and his family. Thanks once again for all the information you sent me about Camp Kitchener.
Alfred’s good friend also mentioned a BBC Witness History episode on the Kindertransport that was broadcast this week and is now a podcast.
Edited by Clare Weissenberg