Members of Highbridge’s Frank Foley Committee have attended a special ceremony at London’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office where Foreign Secretary David Miliband unveiled a plaque commemorating the British Diplomats who helped Jews escape from Nazi oppression during World War Two.
Five members of the Highbridge group received invitations to the function from David Miliband MP, who is pictured above with Sir Sigmund Sternberg, the President of the Movement for Reform Judaism, in front of the new plaque.
The plaque honours Highbridge-born Frank Foley, who was employed as a Passport Control Officer in Berlin from 1920 until 1939. In his role, he was able to help hundreds of Jews escape from Nazi Germany before the outbreak of World War Two. He had no diplomatic immunity and put himself at great risk by helping others.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said at the unveiling: “We are here today to pay tribute to the men and women who understood more than most the depths of the phrase ‘he who saves just one life is considered as if he has saved an entire world’. It seems so simple, but in the 20th century it was sometimes deemed impossible”.
The group of Frank Foley Committee members at the event (pictured) included Chairman Joyce Curtis; Secretary and Treasurer Pam and Phil Lyes, Shirley Adams and Ray Reddish, plus Cllr Derick Cooper and Highbridge Vicar Reverend Robin Lodge.
The group met the author of the book “Foley”, Michael Smith, along with Frank Foley’s niece, Patricia Dunstan, and her son Richard, and Mr and Mrs John Curtis.
“When talking to Michael, he told us that before he began writing the Foley book he had intended to research MI6, but someone suggested to him that he try to research Foley,” Pam Lyes told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
“On doing so he became amazed at what Foley had done, and it is still his belief today that Foley saved at least 10,000 lives and was ‘ almost a saint’.”
“The ceremony was introduced by Sir Sigmund Sternberg and there was a personal message from the Prince of Wales.”
“A speech was given by Mr Martin Gilbert, the author of a special booklet called ‘Beyond the Call of Duty’ and this was followed by a speech by Mr Milliband, who unveiled the plaque.”
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