He was eventually betrayed, and executed in Mauthausen in 1945, just a few weeks before the camp’s liberation. His body was never found.
The event was kindly led by Rabbi Geoffrey Hyman, of the Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Synagogue and held under the auspices of AJEX JMA, The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation (JASHP) and the Ipswich War Memorial Project.
The stone was unveiled by his nephew Tony and great niece in the presence of His Excellency H.E. Bernhard Wrabetz, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk, the Mayor of Ipswich, Historian Rachel Field, the Japhet family and other distinguished guests.
AJEX National Chair, Dan Fox said: “Jewish men and women like Kurt showed courage beyond belief, dropping themselves back into the jaws of Nazism. Their role was crucial in the eventual allied victory. This memorial is yet another opportunity for us to admire, remember and learn from such bravery, ingenuity and selflessness”.
AJEX Archivist, Martin Sugarman added: “To recall such a brave Jewish man as Kurt, who is virtually unknown except to students of MI6 and SOE history, is a great privilege; he was a shining example of our people 'fighting back' and at the age of over 40, parachuting into the 'lions den ' of Germany and Austria, where chances of survival were small. It was a great honour to represent the JASHP (run by Jerry Klinger in the USA) as their UK representative and continuing the link between AJEX and JASHP.
To watch the memorial service visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0970smiJxvM
To find out more about Kurt's life visit: www.ipswichwarmemorial.co.uk/kurt-erich-glauber
Stan Kaye Photography
