Erich Liffmann
Encyclopedia
Erich Liffmann was a classically trained musician who began his working career as a sign writer in Germany. He was "discovered" when overheard singing in a shop window by Erwin Palm, then a conductor of the Darmstadt National Opera, who beckoned him to come out into the street by saying "Do you mean to tell me, with a voice like that, you are working as a window dresser?".
He received subsequent training with the oratorio singer Ruth Kisch-Arndt.
Being Of Jewish background he managed to escape from Nazi Germany
to England
in 1939 by obtaining a trainee permit. Unfortunately he lacked a Work Permit and, despite a contract with Gaumont British
, was prevented from working by the British Musicians Union.
At the start of the Second World War
he was classified as an "enemy alien
". Nine months later, he was rounded up with 2,500, mainly Jewish, enemy aliens and deported to Canada
. Due to submarine
activity his ship, the HMT Dunera
, was diverted to Australia
. During this eight week voyage, he and his refugee colleagues were herded into cramped, filthy conditions and were subjected to significant ill treatment from their guards.
From September 1940 until May 1941, he and his colleagues were interned in two separate, hot dusty compounds located in Hay, New South Wales
. The British Government had managed to round up a significant collection of intellectuals, artists, musicians, designers, craftsmen and chefs. As such, Camp 8 was quickly transformed into an open university
, where he devoted more time
to his musical studies and participated in shows such as a rewritten version of Snow White
, where he played Prince Charming
.
After Pearl Harbor
, the Australian Government viewed the "Dunera Boys" as a potential work force and he was transferred to pick fruit in Tatura, Victoria
, where he subsequently, and somewhat ironically, joined the 8th Employment Company of the Australian Army as Private Eric Liffman.
The 8th Employment Company was set up to specifically employ five hundred former Dunera internees.
Six weeks after enlisting in the Australian Army, he became an "overnight singing sensation"
following two broadcasts from the Melbourne
-based radio station
3KZ
. Until the War's end, he combined Army duties with a significant singing career with regular broadcasts from Melbourne radio and other venues. These activities assisted in rasing thousands of pounds for the war effort.
After the War. he was able to return to London
near the end of 1946. He was eager to travel
to Germany to find whether any of his parents (Hermann and Mathilde), three brothers (Alfred, Willy, Max) and a sister (Selma) had survived. He was initially refused entry into Germany, but was able to tour the occupied British zone by joining a Navy entertainment show called the "Tokio Express". Unfortunately, his parents had died in Auschwitz, but he was able to locate his sister, who had survived Dachau
and was living in Brussels
, Belgium
. His brother Max had also moved to Brussels and survived the war by living "underground", i.e., in hiding with his wife. Their daughter, Ruth, had survived by being adopted and cared for by very brave foster parents. His brother Willy had also survived by joining the Free French Foreign Legion
and fighting the Nazis in the Sahara
, in particular, at Tobruk
. The fate of his brother
Alfred is unclear, but he did not survive the war.
After reuniting with the remainder of his family, he toured Belgium and parts of Northern Europe
.
The Australian Government refused to extend his visa and he returned to Australia in 1947 to
pursue a musical career in and around Melbourne, where he often performed in schools, night clubs and Masonic Lodge
s.
He received subsequent training with the oratorio singer Ruth Kisch-Arndt.
Being Of Jewish background he managed to escape from Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1939 by obtaining a trainee permit. Unfortunately he lacked a Work Permit and, despite a contract with Gaumont British
Gaumont British
Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was the British arm of the French film company Gaumont. The company became independent of its French parent in 1922, when Isidore Ostrer acquired control of Gaumont-British....
, was prevented from working by the British Musicians Union.
At the start of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was classified as an "enemy alien
Enemy alien
In law, an enemy alien is a citizen of a country which is in a state of conflict with the land in which he or she is located. Usually, but not always, the countries are in a state of declared war.-United Kingdom:...
". Nine months later, he was rounded up with 2,500, mainly Jewish, enemy aliens and deported to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Due to submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
activity his ship, the HMT Dunera
HMT Dunera
His Majesty's Transport Dunera was a British passenger ship built as a troop transport in the late 1930s. She also operated as a passenger liner and as an educational cruise ship. Dunera saw extensive service throughout the Second World War....
, was diverted to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. During this eight week voyage, he and his refugee colleagues were herded into cramped, filthy conditions and were subjected to significant ill treatment from their guards.
From September 1940 until May 1941, he and his colleagues were interned in two separate, hot dusty compounds located in Hay, New South Wales
Hay, New South Wales
Hay is a town in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales , Australia. It is the administrative centre of Hay Shire Local Government Area and the centre of a prosperous and productive agricultural district on the wide Hay Plains....
. The British Government had managed to round up a significant collection of intellectuals, artists, musicians, designers, craftsmen and chefs. As such, Camp 8 was quickly transformed into an open university
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, where he devoted more time
to his musical studies and participated in shows such as a rewritten version of Snow White
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
, where he played Prince Charming
Prince Charming
Prince Charming is a stock character who appears in a number of fairy tales. He is the prince who comes to rescue of the damsel in distress, and stereotypically, must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell...
.
After Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, the Australian Government viewed the "Dunera Boys" as a potential work force and he was transferred to pick fruit in Tatura, Victoria
Tatura, Victoria
Tatura is a town 17 km west-south-west of Shepparton in Victoria, Australia located 3 km off the Midland Highway, forming part of the City of Greater Shepparton. At the 2006 census, Tatura had a population of 3,533, however the true figure is believed to be close to 4,400. Attractions...
, where he subsequently, and somewhat ironically, joined the 8th Employment Company of the Australian Army as Private Eric Liffman.
The 8th Employment Company was set up to specifically employ five hundred former Dunera internees.
Six weeks after enlisting in the Australian Army, he became an "overnight singing sensation"
following two broadcasts from the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
-based radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
3KZ
3KZ
Gold 104.3 is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Australia. Gold 104.3 is part of the Australian Radio Classic Hits Network and broadcasts on the 104.3 MHz frequency.- History :...
. Until the War's end, he combined Army duties with a significant singing career with regular broadcasts from Melbourne radio and other venues. These activities assisted in rasing thousands of pounds for the war effort.
After the War. he was able to return to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
near the end of 1946. He was eager to travel
to Germany to find whether any of his parents (Hermann and Mathilde), three brothers (Alfred, Willy, Max) and a sister (Selma) had survived. He was initially refused entry into Germany, but was able to tour the occupied British zone by joining a Navy entertainment show called the "Tokio Express". Unfortunately, his parents had died in Auschwitz, but he was able to locate his sister, who had survived Dachau
Dachau
Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants...
and was living in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. His brother Max had also moved to Brussels and survived the war by living "underground", i.e., in hiding with his wife. Their daughter, Ruth, had survived by being adopted and cared for by very brave foster parents. His brother Willy had also survived by joining the Free French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
and fighting the Nazis in the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
, in particular, at Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. The fate of his brother
Alfred is unclear, but he did not survive the war.
After reuniting with the remainder of his family, he toured Belgium and parts of Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
.
The Australian Government refused to extend his visa and he returned to Australia in 1947 to
pursue a musical career in and around Melbourne, where he often performed in schools, night clubs and Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
s.