Heinz Goldstein

Lance Corporal, Pioneer Corps
Service no: 13800016
Died 29 Dec 1940
Buried East Ham (Marlow Road) Jewish Cemetery, United Kingdom
Age 30


Heinz was born on 14 May 1910 in Berlin, Germany and details of his family are unknown. By 1939, Heinz has escaped Nazi Germany and was living at the Kitchener Camp, Sandwich in Kent. His documents state that his previous occupation was an insurance clerk but whilst at the camp he worked as a bricklayer. He enlisted into the Pioneer Corps and in October 1940 he married Olga Tichaner in Chard, Somerset. He was killed two months later in the London Blitz.

Four other members of the Pioneer Corps were also killed that night when a bomb hit a bus that they were travelling on. Between 6pm on the night of the 29th and the early hours of the following morning, more than 24,000 high explosive bombs and 100,000 incendiary bombs were dropped. It was the largest continuous area of Blitz destruction in Britain. It stretched south from Islington to the edge of St Paul’s Churchyard. German planning had the raid coincide with a particularly low tide on the River Thames, making it difficult to obtain water for firefighting. The others killed were Heinz Kiwi, Emil Mesner, Solomon Buchsbaum and Gerhard Neumann.

Photo courtesy Shelley Williams