Ex-Auschwitz prisoner Frank Bright from Ipswich who survived holocaust during Second World War dies aged 94

Tributes have been paid to an ex-Auschwitz prisoner from Suffolk who survived the holocaust and spent decades educating youngsters about its horrors.

Frank Bright, from Ipswich, shared his incredible story with generations of youngsters over the years, so that the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten.

He was born in Berlin in 1928 and his family fled to Prague in 1938, which was soon annexed by Nazi Germany.

Frank said his father was transported from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz in 1944, never to be seen again, before he and his mother were taken there a fortnight later.

Neither of his parents survived, but Frank managed to avoid the gas chambers through working as a slave labourer at a propeller factory.

After liberation in May 1945, and after care from the Red Cross in Prague, he made his way to London to live with distant relatives.

Since the war, he has shared his story countless times at schools around Suffolk and Essex.

In 2019, Frank said: “It means a lot to me to be able to tell my story to young people.

“It is important that they understand what has happened in the past – and these are things they can’t really understand just from reading a book.”

Once arriving in the UK, Frank took evening classes to train as a civil engineer, and worked with local authorities, including Suffolk County Council.

Frank had two children with wife Cynthia and the pair moved to Martlesham Heath, near Ipswich, 36 years ago.

Cynthia died in November 2021, just weeks before her husband was named in Queen Elizabeth II's final New Year's Honours List, in recognition of his work with school children.

It has been confirmed he died on August 16, 2023.

Michael Newman, chief executive of Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR), said: "The Association of Jewish Refugees is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of a truly inspirational member, Frank Bright MBE.

"Frank, who survived Auschwitz and came to Britain after the liberation, took night classes to become a civil engineer and dedicated much of his life to educate young people about the horrors of discrimination, hatred and genocide.

"We feel privileged to have captured his testimony as part of our Refugee Voices archive, a collection of life stories and experiences of Holocaust refugees and survivors."

Martlesham Heath Aviation Society and Control Tower Museum paid their own tribute to Frank on Facebook sharing a photo of him attending a remembrance service.

They said: "Just heard on TV that MHAS friend and member, Frank Bright has passed away.

"Frank was a Survivor of Auschwitz and a lovely, lovely man. RIP."