Refugee sheltered by Clement Attlee meets former PM’s granddaughter

A 90 year-old man who was sheltered as a child refugee by Clement Attlee after fleeing the Nazis in the run-up to the Second World War said it was an overwhelming experience” as he met the former prime minister’s granddaughter for the first time.

Paul Willer said that he and Mr Attlee’s granddaughter Jo Roundell-Greene “hugged many times”.

They met ahead of an event in the Houses of Parliament, organised by the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), to mark the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport which saved thousands of children who were escaping from the Nazis.

Mr Willer, who was ten when he was taken in by the then opposition leader in 1939, said: “The whole day has been emotional.”

A beaming Mrs Roundell-Greene added: “We are both absolutely delighted to have met each other. It has been a very special day.”

Mr Willer recalled feeling immediately welcomed by Mr Attlee and his family.

Mr Attlee had sponsored a Jewish mother and her two children so they could move to the UK from Germany in 1939. Mr Willer stayed at Mr Attlee’s home in Stanmore, north-west London, for four months.

Mr Attlee did not try to make any political gain from sheltering the child and did not go public with what he had done.

Mr Willer, who now lives in Gloucestershire, arrived on Easter Sunday and felt loved by Mr Attlee, his wife Violet and their four children.

Recalling his fond memories of Mr Attlee, he said: “He was a very gentle fatherly figure who exuded goodwill to all us children all the time.”

Mrs Roundell-Greene, of Somerset, said: “There was a young boy who needed somewhere to stay. They had a big house and lots of children, and one more was something they wanted to do.

“They made him welcome. He had to take cold baths but it was just normal family life. They welcomed him and he said they loved him.”

Her mother Felicity helped Mr Willer, who could not speak English, communicate with the rest of the family, as they both had learned some Latin at school.

Mrs Roundell-Greene said: “He said he was very fond of my mother Felicity. I feel a great warmth towards him and I had not met him before today.”