Leeds great-grandma, 89, who fled Nazis in 1939, given New Year's Honour

Liesel Carter, who is Jewish, was just four when she made the journey to England alone from Germany in 1939 after the death of her father in a concentration camp when she was a baby.

Travelling from Hildesheim in Germany through Sweden and Norway, she finally made it to England where her mother was already working in service.

Many of Mrs Carter’s family left in Germany died in the Holocaust, including her cousins. Her aunt and uncle are believed to have taken their own lives on a transportation train to Latvia.

She settled down in England with foster parents, and has lived in the country her whole life.

Mrs Carter never lived with her birth mother again, but kept in touch with her throughout her life.

Recounting her experience, she said: “I travelled on my own. People were meeting me and putting me on various trains. I was only four.

"I don’t remember much. I remember being in Norway with a Norwegian family who wrapped me up in a blanket and sat me by a fire. I stayed with them for three or four weeks before they put me on a boat to England.”

Over the decades, Mrs Carter has shared her story with thousands of people - including schoolchildren - to illustrate the need for tolerance and respect.

She has also dedicated herself to the Holocaust Survivors' Friendship Association which links survivors together for support as well as educating the public and preserving memories at its dedicated centre in Huddersfield.

Several weeks ago she was told she was the recipient of the Medal as part of the New Year Honours list.

It is given to mark “achievement or contribution of a very “hands-on” service to the community in a local geographical area.”

Mrs Carter said: “This came out of the blue, and was a big surprise.

“The Lord Lieutenant will give me the honour and in the summer I’ll be going down for a garden party at Buckingham Palace.”

This year marks 80 years since the end of the war, and Mrs Carter believes it’s more important than ever to keep sharing her memories.

She said: “It’s very important because we’ve got so much hatred in the world. Why can’t we just live together and tolerate each other?

“Even when I went to school, I was told ‘get back to Germany.’ Little did they know my family were being murdered.

“I get all sorts of reactions from children now. They couldn’t believe I was so little and travelling by myself.

“The Association is important because we back each other up. There’s so few of us left now. We have afternoon tea and talk about our families and what’s happening in the world.”

Over the years Mrs Carter has returned to Germany for commemorative events, but has never seen the country as her home.

She said: “In 2012 we went to Hildesheim for a big commemoration service. I was a speaker.

“We spent three days there and I was taken to where my father’s grave is. They were interesting days but I couldn’t wait to get back to England. I never felt safe. That’s something deep from being a young child, I knew things weren’t right. I remember my mother having friends round and sitting and whispering.

“Someone in the crowd said to me ‘how do you feeling coming home?’ And I turned around and said ‘this is not my home. England is my home.

“I get a little depressed thinking of the family I never knew who were murdered. It’s part of life’s rich pattern. I want there to be tolerance towards race, upbringing and colour. Why take umbrage because someone is different to you?”

Later this month, the world will mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27.

This year’s theme, set by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, is For A Better Future with the public asked to consider ways they can combat hatred within their communities 80 years on from the liberation of Nazi concentration camps.