Winton's train: Milena's story

Milena's came so close to being sent to a concentration camp

She was one of 669 Jewish children living in Czechoslovakia who escaped from the Nazis in 1939.

On the eve of World War II, at the age of nine, Milena Grenfell Baines got on to one of the trains organised by an Englishman, Nicholas Winton, along with her sister and cousin.

They were brought to London safe and sound and Milena began her new life, eventually making her home in Preston.

Last week she was among the survivors who made the same train journey.

BBC Radio Lancashire's News Editor Chris Rider has known Milena for nearly 30 years and pays this tribute to her remarkable life.

It was back in 1982 that I first met Milena. I was working in Preston at what was then Red Rose Radio and Milena was given a regular cooking slot, along with her friend Joan Whittle.

She was a charming lady, always pleasant and polite and well spoken. But I knew very little about her background and it was only years later that I finally discovered just what had happened back in 1939.

'Winton train'

She never spoke about it back then and despite many many visits to BBC Radio Lancashire it was only in more recent years that I got to learn about the "Winton train" and how she had come so close to being sent to a concentration camp.

Milena had been to our studios to talk about other matters, her various passions, cooking, music and her love for her home country.

Back in 1996, for example, she was signed up to be an interpreter for the Czech football team who were taking part in the European Championships who were making Preston their base. She became their lucky charm. So much so they made it to the final allowing Milena to give us a phone interview from the team coach!

Milena's grandfather's note tells her to be faithful to her family

In 2004 she organised a special dinner at Ewood Park in Blackburn to help promote European unity. The Czech, Slovak, Polish and Hungarian ambassadors came to Lancashire at her invitation. She has also for many years been involved in helping to promote the work of the Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra, attending many of their concerts.

Goodbye

She became Lady Milena when her husband, the architect George Grenfell Baines was knighted in 1978. He died in 2003.

Of course all of Milena's efforts were only made possible by one man - Nicholas Winton - hardly known to most people I suspect but someone who should be properly acknowledged.

Profile: Nicholas Winton

In other countries efforts were being made in 1939 to get the Jewish children to safety, but not in Prague. Winton cancelled a holiday and somehow managed to organise the trains and the paperwork to allow over 600 youngsters - including Milena, her sister and cousin to be taken to the UK.

They said goodbye to their parents who didn't know whether they would see their children again. Milena's grandfather gave her an autograph book. In it he wrote that she should be faithful to her new country, and be faithful to her family.

She has done more than that.