Last month, to mark the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, I was honoured to be invited, as a Generation 2 Generation (G2G) speaker, to deliver my father's Belsen liberation presentation at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. The special commemorative event, held on 15th April 2026, was hosted by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) and The Light Dragoons.
A short service was given by Padre Dominic Holroyd near the memorial oak tree, planted last year at the 80th anniversary of the liberation by Belsen survivor Mala Tribich MBE and by Alfred Garwood MBE who was born in a Nazi ghetto. Soldiers of the Light Dragoons were addressed by HMDT’s Chief Operating Officer, Paul Lopez-Salzedo, and Lt-Col Dan Lenherr, Commanding Officer of The Light Dragoons. There was also a minute silence in memory of all those lives lost in the second world war.
Photo credit: The Light Dragoons
81 years ago to the day, on 15 April 1945, the British Army liberated Bergen-Belsen when they found around 60,000 prisoners, most of who were ill and malnourished and dying at a rate of around 500 a day, as well as 10,000 unburied corpses. The Light Dragoons antecedent Regiment, 15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars, were one of the first British forces to liberate Bergen-Belsen – among them, my father, Lt-Col Leonard Berney who was stationed there for 14 weeks, helping to organise the relief effort and save as many lives as possible. He later became the Commander of the Belsen Displaced Persons Camp.
I gave my presentation to around 60 officers in officer's mess of the Light Dragoons. My father hoped that his story, if broadly known, would help prevent future atrocities.
Photo credit: The Light Dragoons
The most important message I wanted to get across was the importance of improving Human Rights education as it is the key to building a better and more compassionate society.
Paul Lopez-Salzedo, HMDT’s COO, said: “We are very grateful to The Light Dragoons for their special partnership and for their support in hosting this event. Together, we honour not only those who were murdered at Bergen-Belsen, and the British soldiers who liberated the survivors, but also the 6 million Jewish men, women and children who were killed during the Holocaust.
Lt-Col Dan Lenherr, Commanding Officer, The Light Dragoons, added: “This event served as a powerful reminder that we must not forget the horrors of the past and that we all have a duty to ensure that they are never repeated.”
About Generation 2 Generation
G2G, a Holocaust Education Charity, empowers second and third generation Holocaust survivor descendants to share their family histories with a wide range of audiences. G2G is part of HMDT’s Partnership Group, which brings together sister organisations within the sector to extend the reach and impact of Holocaust Memorial Day and Holocaust education.
See also:
https://hmd.org.uk/news/liberation-of-bergen-belsen-concentration-camp/
