Born Konstaninov, April 25, 1928.
Died Southend, January 17, 2008.
Holocaust survivor David Kutner came to Britain as one “The Boys”, the child survivors of the Nazi death camps, in 1945.
Born near Lodz, David and his family were sent from the Lodz ghetto to Auschwitz in 1944. His parents and a sister perished. Another sister survived but never recovered her health.
In Auschwitz’s Birkenau camp, he was starved, beaten and tortured. In April 1945 he was sent on death marches to Weimar, Buchenwald and Terezin, where he was liberated by the Russians. In August he came on a transport of 310 boys and girls flown to England and landing at Lake Windermere.
He left his first job, drilling carburretor holes, to be a rep in the clothing business, travelling round the country. His experiences are among the 732 young camp survivors recorded in Sir Martin Gilbert’s 1996 book, The Boys.
Haunted by Holocaust memories, he bore his troubles with dignity and courage. He gained some release from his sense of imprisonment and regimentation through travel and being outdoors in Southend’s sea air.
He is survived by Valerie, his wife of 55 years, and two daughters.