Real heroes were in Warsaw...

Since last post we found new documents and facts about Stalag. Slowly but precisely we started to analyse them and acquired stories which could be a script for some war movies...

At first we would like to share with you a very interesting story of signalman Edward Smith. This man served in Australian Army, he was caught in Greece but escaped many times from different POW's camps. Last stop was in Stalag XXA in Torun.... he met here his brother, felt in love and many more.. but he decided to escape again...

In Stalag XXA - probably on Working Camp near Brodnica
Edward is 5th from right standing

When he arrived to Warsaw with false documents Polish Underground Army prepared for him transport to England. But it was last day of calm in Warsaw. Everybody knew that something would happen in days, maybe hours. When Polish officer asked him if he is read to go to London Edward answered.... No. I know about planning uprising, I will join you and fight with you, because im a soldier. He survived Warsaw Hell... after all he moved do Cracow where on his way he met also future Pope - Karol Wojtyla...

Below we put an article which we wrote for anniversary of Warsaw Uprise. We would like to thank for help to Edwards family and his friends..

Awarded by medal of Polish Underground Army
on Iskra Ship, Sydney 1995 r.

Our Article in local newspaper Nowosci
1 of August 2015,
71th anniversary of Warsaw Uprising
English Translation

Comments

Thanks this trip we've discovered new facts about POW from Stalag XXA in 1945

That was wonderful trip. During three days we saw couple of places connected with POW path of Jack Stansfield. Moreover thanks his son Michael we saw notes with memories of last days in Stalag XXA in Torun. In opposit to all facts which says that prisoners left camp in late december 1945 Jack wrote that they started to march on 21 january! That means that lasts groups of POW left camp in 10 days before Torun was liberated. Fortunatley Jack survived afeter he escaped from march. He met russians army and polish partizants. Below we presents you short memories about Jack and trip to Poland... My father was called Jack Stansfield, he was born in August 1918. He was brought up in the market town of Malton in North Yorkshire where his parents were publicans. He joined the Territorial Army in March 1939 and was mobilised on the declaration of war. Jack enlisted in his local regiment joining the 5th Battalion of the Green Howards. After a short time at the Regimental HQ in Richmond, North...

Living conditions in Stalag XXA

Monthly bath in Stalag XXA Living conditions Lawrence Travers Dorins a former POW describes „fort XI was surrounded by a high bank and the fence around it with gates across the entrance road, on one side there was also a dry moat with a bridge on it. The bridge led to a tunnel” The fortress was covered with trees, bushes and earth so that the fortress could not be visible from the bird's eye. Prisoners slept in caponiers where initially were supposed to sleep Prussian soldiers. Yet PoW describes the rooms as if there were designed as rooms in the concentration camps. Rooms looked as semi tunnels. “The perpendicular walls were about 3m high and the height of the arched roof was about 5 m, wooden bunks provided sleeping spaces. Each room had only two small windows which obviously allowed no ventilation. Due to the end of the night the air was solid and everyone would have a headache due to oxygen starvation” .In those rooms kept approximately 32 men. There were three shelves whe...

Just few hours to understand life in Stalag XXA(20A) in Torun

"I will always be grateful to Pawel for helping me understand better what happened to my father when he was captured by the German army after the fighting at Dunkirk. Like many former British POWs, Dad was reluctant to tell his children very much about what he had endured during the war. We knew he spent most of the war in German POW camps, in particular one in Poland. From his army records we discovered that camp was Staleg XX-A. I contacted Pawel at very short notice recently when I was in traveling with my husband in Europe. Pawel was able to meet me in Torun to walk me through the history of Staleg XX-A and some of the forts of Torun. My father, John Wilkinson, was with the British Expeditionary Force, serving in the Light Tank Regiment of the 1st East Riding Yeomanry. We believe he fought at Cassel in France before being captured. It was extraordinary for me to walk with Pawel at Torun where the British POWs disembarked, knowing my father would hav...

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