MONMOUTH MP David Davies has pledged his support to Holocaust Memorial Day by signing the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment in the House of Commons.

2022 marks 77 years since the liberation of the concentration camps of Europe and end of the Second World War. With Thursday 27 January commemorating the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Mr Davies honoured the millions of victims who were persecuted and murdered during the Holocaust.He also paid tribute to the extraordinary survivors who work tirelessly to educate young people today, ensuring the appalling events of the Holocaust and other genocides are neither forgotten nor repeated."Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for people around the globe to reflect on the darkest times of European history," said Mr Davies."The last survivors of the concentration camps are now very elderly and will not be with us for much longer. Last October, we said goodbye to Mady Gerrard; a tremendous character who brightened up the lives of her many friends in Monmouthshire and across the world."As fellow Hungarians, Mady and my wife Aliz used to spend hours talking to each other and I was privileged to get to know this remarkable woman."Originally from Keszthely in Hungary, Mady was just 14-years-old when Nazi soldiers entered her village and rounded up Jewish families before deporting them to Auschwitz. After narrowly avoiding execution, Mady was moved to various death camps and ended up in Bergen-Belsen. Recalling the horrific living conditions, Mady said that as soon as she arrived at Belsen "we realised this was the end". But rescue came in the form of British soldiers led by a young SAS officer named Lieutenant John Randall. Sixty years later, in an amazing twist, Mady was reading an article about the liberation of the camps in the Daily Telegraph and recognised a picture of Lt Randall. The pair were subsequently reunited and became firm friends until he died in 2016. "The full story is shown in a video on my website, which Mady was kind enough to let me film at her home near Chepstow in 2020," said Mr Davies. "One thing she kept saying to me is that we should never forget the horrors of what happened. She was determined to share her experiences so we learn the lessons of history and never become complacent about anti-Semitism. "The last survivors of the Nazi death camps are now very elderly and will not be with us forever. Our duty is to make sure their emotional testimonies are remembered for generations to come." In the lead up to and on Holocaust Memorial Day, thousands of commemorative events will be arranged by schools, faith groups and community organisations across the country, remembering all the victims of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.The theme for this year’s commemorations is ’One Day’. Karen Pollock MBE, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: "As the Holocaust fades from living memory, it falls on all of us to ensure that the stories of the six million Jewish men, women and children brutally murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators are never forgotten."We all have a duty to remember the Holocaust and to stand up against anti-Semitism and hate, now more than ever."