Ondrej Clyne

Details

Hebrew Name:
Birthday: 1915-05-22
Born in:
Families: Clyne

Family

Father: Moshe Israel Klein | Mother: Paula Steinmetz Klein
Spouse: Ellen Cooper Clyne
Siblings: Albert (Bella) Klein, Edith Klein Kaminski, Gabriel Klein
Children: Paula Clyne Ridley, Charles Clyne, Rachel Clyne Blake

Biography

Ondrej (Andy) Clyne was born in Uzhgorod to Moshe-Israel and Paula Klein in 1915. At that time the town was part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and called Uzhgorod. Andy was the eldest son of the family and went to the local Hungarian primary school for 4 years. By that time (after WWI), the town with the rest of the Carpaterus area became part of Czechoslovakia and most of the Jews felt more close to the Czechs because of their reforms. Like many of the other kids, he continued his studies in the Czech Gymnasium for the next 8 years. Soon after his graduation, Andy decided to leave Uzhgorod to study in Prague and has was accepted as a student in the National Czech University, at the Chemistry faculty. During his studies, the Nazi party took control of Germany. The Germans were openly claiming control of other parts in Europe and the sounds of war were in the air. A few months after his graduation, in May 1939, young Andy and couple of his friends decided to leave Prague and to try to go to London. The journey through Czechoslovakia, Germany, Holland and UK took them about 4 weeks and was not without troubles. The Czech Embassy, who helped Czech citizens, sent him to a refugee camp near London, where he was studying English. Soon after, Andy was sent to the local college to assist in Chemistry as a lecturer. As it was the time of WWII, he was also asked to work in the Ministry of War. Andy stayed in the camp for about a year and left about mid 1940. While he was working at the college, Andy met Ellen Cooper and they got married in 1943. Until that time, Andy kept in contact with his family in Uzhgorod via mail but since about 1943 he did not receive mails any more and lost contact with his family. WWII ended and in the summer of 1945, and with his connections at the Ministry, Andy was allowed to travel to Prague to look for his family. Soon he found out that his parents and his kid brother, Gabi, were sent to Auschwitz and did not survive. He also found out that his brother Bella was part of the Hungarian Workers Battalion and had been sent to Siberia by the Russians. (Bella was later released and returned to Uzhgorod). Edith, his sister, was in a labor camp in Germany and returned to Prague but Andy didn’t meet her on his 1st trip. Later on she moved back to Germany, stayed in a refugee camp, and decided, together with her new husband Samuel Kaminski, to move to the USA. After the war, Andy developed his career as a chemical engineer and specialized in planning oil refineries and chemical plants. Ellen and Andy built a nice home at St. Albans, with their 3 children: Paula, Charles and Rachel. Andy soon became a Director and as part of his job had to travel quite extensively throughout the globe, including to what was then called the USSR. This gave Andy the ability to try and visit Uzhgorod (which was part of Ukraine and USSR) and his brother Bella: 2 visits took place, the first with all his family in 1964, and the second one on his own, in 1969. Andy retired in 1987, at the age of 72. Andy lives today in Ringwood near Bournemouth, England, close to his daughter Rachel.