Sterling silver Royal Air Force sweetheart's wings pin acquired by 17 year old Hans Eibuschitz, a Jewish Czech refugee, while he was in training with the British Royal Air Force from about 1944 to 1945. A sweetheart pin was given to loved ones by soldiers, and were not issued by the RAF. After Germany invaded and annexed Czechoslovakia in March 1939, 12 year old Hans, and his 9 year old brother Steven were sent to Great Britain on a Kindertransport. Hans was placed in private boarding schools. After graduation, he attended the London School of Economics to study actuarial science. In 1944 or 1945, he began training with the Royal Air Force. The war ended when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945, before Hans entered active service.
Small silver lapel pin in the shape of outspread wings connected by a laurel wreath enclosing 3 cutout letters, RAF, toped by an imperial crown with a red painted center. The wings have detailed, textured feathers. On the back is a C clasp straight pin.
overall: Height: 0.625 inches (1.588 cm) | Width: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm) | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm)
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The RAF pin was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by The George Washington University, which received the item as a bequest from the Estate of John P. Eden.
Hans Eibuschitz (later John Eden) was born on November 23, 1927, in Vienna, Austria, to Rudolf and Olga Eibuschitz. He had a brother, Steven, born on June 25, 1930. Hans and his family lived in Czechoslovakia. Rudolf owned a factory that made bicycle gears. The family was Jewish, but not observant. In September 1938, Nazi Germany annexed the Sudetenland border region of Czechoslovakia. On March 15, 1939, Germany invaded and annexed the Bohemia and Moravia provinces, where Hans lived with his family. German allies absorbed other areas and Czechoslovakia ceased to exist. Rudolf and Olga arranged to send Hans and Steven to England on a Kindertransport from Prague. Hans was initially sent to live with a family in northern England, but it did not work out. Hans had distant relatives in England and they placed him in a private boarding school, Mistley Place. Two other Kindertransport children attended the school. After graduating from Clayesmore School, Hans went to London to live with relatives. Steven continued his schooling. Hans enrolled in the London School of Economics to study to be an actuary. In 1944/45, Hans was inducted into the Royal Air Force. He began training, but never entered active service. The war ended when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945. While training with the RAF, Hans, still a Czech citizen, was drafted for service in the Czech Army. He was told to desert the RAF and return to Czechoslovakia. Hans spoke with other Kindertransport refugees about conditions in Czechoslovakia. He disliked the Soviet influence over the Czech government, so he decided to stay in England. He was told that if he ever returned to Czechoslovakia, he would be shot as a military deserter. Hans decided to emigrate to the United States to take advantage of career opportunities for actuaries. He had relatives there, as one of his grandmothers had immigrated to the US before the war. His brother Steven, who changed his last name to Whitelaw, decided to remain in England. On June 21, 1950, Hans sailed from Southampton on the New Amsterdam, arriving in New York on June 28. He settled in New York and changed his name to John Peter Eden. John was drafted into the US Marine Corps and served as a corporal in the Korean War (1950-1953). After the war, he returned to New York. He met Gisela Marx (1925-2012) at a British social club event. Gisela was from Dulken, Germany, and was also rescued on a Kindertransport to England. Her family had perished during the Holocaust. She immigrated to the US in 1952. The couple married in 1958 and settled in Washington DC. Gisela, age 87, passed away on August 20, 2012. John, age 85, died on May 29, 2013.
Royal Air Force sweetheart's wings pin acquired by a Czech Jewish Kindertransport refugee