Hannelore Cohen (nee Horn) was born in Cologne, Germany in 1924. Her father worked for a textile firm and they moved to Chemnitz in 1927 and then to Holland for six months and then back to Chemnitz where Hannelore grew up and went to school. Her parents belonged to the Temple Synagogue and her mother sang in the synagogue choir. Her father was an active Zionist and active member of B'nai Brith. 

Hannelore came to England on a Kindertransport in Jan 1939 and went to the Needoffs, a very friendly Manchester family. They accepted her as one of their own and she was very happy there. They had a girl of 24 and a boy of 17. They later brought over her brother. Hannelore attended the Jewish School until July 1939 and then to work in the Needoffs’ bakery. She had learnt English in Germany and improved it in school. In 1941 Hannelore had to take war work in a factory but did not stay long and went back to the bakery. She met her husband in 1945/6 and married him within 6 weeks. He was an English Jew who had been a Japanese POW. He was a joiner.

Hannelore’s mother survived Theresienstadt, having been sent to Switzerland in 1944 and she came to live with them. Hannelore opened a sweet shop and her mother helped her. She had two children attended King David and then non Jewish Secondary Schools. They belonged to the Central Shul and the North Manchester Shul. They were traditional but not orthodox. Hannelore’s brother went to Israel and became a Chassid in Bnai Brak.