A Basingstoke army medic has gone viral after delivering a vaccine to an Auschwitz survivor – just before Holocaust Memorial Day.

Private Maddy Oliver was vaccinating the elderly in London when an elderly man came in and revealed the Auschwitz Concentration Camp number tattooed on his arm.

A picture taken by the man’s son was shared thousands of times online, including by footballer Gary Lineker, and at the time of writing has been liked over 16,000 times.

Maddy said: “It was such an emotional moment. I was so sad for all that he went through in the war, but so proud that the small act we and the NHS as a team had done for him this week would one day soon allow him to be liberated once more.”

The former mobile carer had always been interested in becoming a paramedic, but “wasn’t keen” on taking the academic route. As a result, she joined the army and became part of 1 Armoured Medical Regiment, where since January 18 she has been helping to rollout out coronavirus vaccines in London.

“I’m so proud to be doing this job and it’s made me so happy” said Maddy. “It’s reminded me so much of what I used to do, and I loved that job, but it’s not what I expected I’d be doing when I joined the Army.”

On Tuesday, January 26, the 19-year-old had been working as normal, on a shift that normally sees her vaccinate 140 people. At that point, an elderly man came into her cubicle, along with his son and grandson, and rolled back his sleeve to reveal the Auschwitz concentration camp number.

“His son whispered to me that he was a survivor of the Holocaust and when I saw that tattooed number it was really shocking. I was taken aback by it,” said Maddy.

“I’ve got tattoos myself but they’re angel’s wings and they were my choice. His meant something terrible, a reminder of another war and terrible atrocities. I never thought I’d get to actually meet someone like that.

“Here was a man who had survived unimaginable horrors, bravely coming for his vaccination, determined to survive again. It just shows how far we’ve come from what he went through in WW2.”

Maddy gave the vaccine as normal, and said it only struck her afterwards the significance of the occasion.

“I was in shock,” she said. “I just wish I had asked the gentleman more questions but I didn’t want to upset him. I wanted to treat him the same way as everyone else, keep it calm and friendly. But when it was over, and he walked out it hit me what a big thing that was. I felt so humbled, proud and privileged to have been the one to give him the vaccine.”

The following day, on Holocaust Memorial Day, the man’s son tweeted a picture of Maddy delivering his father the vaccine, with the words: “From Darkness to Light – Private Maddy Oliver vaccinating my father in the same arm where 76 years earlier his Auschwitz number was tattooed. And I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.”

Within hours it had been retweeted 2,600 times, including by footballer Gary Lineker, and been liked by over 16,000 people.

Maddy said that this vaccine was particularly poignant, and will remain with her.

She said: “It was such an emotional moment. I was so sad for all that he went through in the war, but so proud that the small act we and the NHS as a team had done for him this week would one day soon allow him to be liberated once more.”

Over 5,000 personnel are now deployed as part of the Armed Forces’ contribution to combatting Covid. It is the largest ever peacetime resilience operation, and sees personnel focused on three strands of work - testing, vaccines and clinical support for the NHS.