Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Viscount Traprain, nephew and heir of Arthur James Balfour, having been contacted by Rebecca Sieff and others, proposed the idea of using Whittingehame House as a haven for Jewish refugees
He leased Whittingehame House and the estate to Whittingehame Farm School, a non-profit organisation formed as an academic institution, as well as a tuition in the skills required to make a living after emigration.

In January, 1939, Whittingehame Farm School opened. with an initial intake of just 51 children, quickly rising to 96, and reaching around 160.

On August 29, 1939, a contract was signed for Grych Castle, in North Wales, where 200 religious and orthodox Youth Aliyah groups, many from Austria were billeted.

In May 1940, following the German invasion of the Low Countries, Winston Churchill’s newly formed government took the advice of MI5 to "Round the lot up", and thirty seven of the staff and older pupils of Whittingehame Farm School were suddenly arrested and taken away, classified as enemy aliens, and interned at Lingfield race course alongside German seamen, many of whom were ardent Nazis.
With the defeat of France and the escape of the British Army at Dunkirk, Britain feared invasion, and that there were spies, enemies, saboteurs inside Britain who would help the Germans.
Foreigners, especially German and Italian’s were viewed as potentially fifth columnists, and anyone not from a country that was fighting the Nazis were viewed with the suspicion.
Through a German contact in Zurich, the British intelligence services were told that the German refugees the Jews in Britain, could not be trusted.
The Germans held their families in their custody, and would use their families to gain cooperation from the Jews who had run to Britain.
The Jews were dangerous to Britain, or so it seemed to British intelligence services, even the Churchill government agreed.
In August 1940 the Home Secretary revoked the order, and the pupils and staff were allowed to return to Whittingehame Farm School.

Between 1939-1941, 160 children without foster families, were sent to Whittingehame Farm School.
Whittingehame Farm School Ltd. was run with English staff until Madrichim from the different Youth Movements in Germany and Schlichim from Palestine were added to the staff.
180 children aged 12-15 from haShomer haTzair, Werkleute Habonim and Bachad (Bnei Akiba) lived and worked under one roof.

On September 14, 1939, Hawker Audax K7479, of No 1 Course, 13 Flying Training School, from Drem, crashed on the grounds of Whittinghame Farm School, and was destroyed by fire,
Pilot Officer Keith Bartram Chiazzari and Pilot Officer Frederick Alan Bishop, the passenger, were kiled.