In August 1945, my father, Mayer Bomsztyk, was among survivors who were flown from Prague to Carlisle after being liberated from Theresienstadt.
I was fortunate to have attended the 45 Aid Society Reunion in Prague in 2019 and stood under the Jan Hus Monument as part of a group photo, on the very spot where my father was photographed in 1945, before being flown to England.
In undertaking this Trek, in honour of my father and to support the vital work being carried out by the My Voice project, I have the opportunity to recreate in a symbolic way, the final leg of my father’s journey.
I will be walking the 50kms from Carlisle Airport to The Calgarth Estate, my father’s first “home” in the UK. Though this may be a physical challenge for me, having never walked such a distance in two days before, I am well aware this pales into insignificance when viewed against the challenges my father, and so many thousands of others, undertook in their lifetimes, but I hope will, in small way help support the work of the My Voice project.