WARTIME GUIDES

Today, I would like to share with you an extraordinary adventure I had as a guide during a bike tour for the residents of Torun. It was not only a great opportunity to spend time outdoors but also an amazing experience of discovering lesser-known stories and places with a military past. Leading this tour, I had the pleasure of sharing stories that are hard to find in books on a daily basis. These were tales that surprised the participants and brought to life unknown aspects of Torun. Uncovering hidden histories became an integral part of the mission I undertook.                                                   Our bike routes took us through corners of the city rarely seen by the average passerby. During the journey, I showed places that were usually associated with something completely different but harbored stories connected to the military aspect of the past. It was a true exploration of the unknown side of Torun, where streets, buildings, and squares gained new meaning. One of the

History is our passion but when we can share it with children or youths we treat it very special. New generation wanted to know more about the past. Luckily, they know war only from books or movies but sometimes they have trips. That's how a delegation of partnership region from  Scotland spent their time in Toruń. Youths from there,  apart from gingerbread tradtion,  learn something more about martyrology and stories connected to Stalag XXA. We had pleasure to show them places and told stories which are important for us as a Poles and for them as a awared people how must protect dialogue and respect for each other. That was very a important day for us.

September is important month for Poles. We think about the occupation and people who lost their lives during the war. But for people whose relative fought in different fronts all over the world is also specific time. Brunskills family came to Poland to leran something more about their father's life during the war as a prisoner of war of stalag XXA and XXB It is rather typical that ex POWs didn't speak  about their life behind the barbed wire.  The Brunskills daughters  remember only stories about strong winter and lack of food. Even during childhood after the war, one of common memories is shouting father when he saw wasting food! Ladies during the trip told us that even their names were also connected to his imprisonment and he treated it as a symbol. Based on memories we saw parts of Stalag XXB to see how looks today, places from the best time of his life which was stolen by WWII.

That was very interesting beginning of August. Since first messages from Jason, we knew that it will  not be a random trip. His grandfather was a prisoner of war who spent in Stalag 20A all war. During his imprisonment he sent a lot of letters and postcards which almost all survive! Thanks to that, it was very easy to see and knew more about places where he was. What is more, it was an excellent source to see how Germans organised system of support for local farmers and industry. Finally we heard a lot of interesting stories about Russian prisoners of war who helped western soldiers during The Long Marches To Freedom.

Very often we publish here stories about Edward 'Wally' Smith, a prisoner of war who was also in Stalag 20A in Torun. He escaped from here, fought in Warsaw Uprising 1944, finally he survived the war and who knows, maybe Karol Wojtyła (John Paul II) who talked with him in Krakow was one of the person thanks to whom he survived the war. Apart from this story, we had a great honour to guide  his family who wanted to see the footsteps of their relative. That was very emotional trip, full of new facts which we probably wouldn't know without this meeting.

During our research, very often we find out that offcial documents are not complete when it comes to detail information. It was like that when Paul visited us during his trip on war footsteps of his Father. Thanks his documentation we know that space offically dedicated do the officers were occupied by regular soldiers. What is more, we confirmed also place where was a dentist and we heard  many  stories about his proffesional work in Stalag XXA (20A).

      Six years ago, we initiated actions to build a new monument in Lisak village, app. 40 km from Toruń. During the IIWW there was located a hard labour camp (Stutthof subcamp) for civilians. Those people were captured and forced to built fortifications at the Drwęca River againts Soviet counterstrike. From memories we also know that there worked also Prisoners of War camps. Thanks to our initiative, local organisations, passionates and Institute of National Rememberance got interested into the topic. Now INR is conducting an investigation. Because we are almost sure that there is a massive grave of people who were killed during the evacuation.      There are plans to do exhumations, clean up the area, and demarcate a new path to the monument. Here a radio programme about the topic

     This month we had great plasure to help Carole and her brother Terry in researching their father's war path. Thanks to memories and pictures, we were able to show places connected to his history. There were also new facts about Stalag XXA and treatment of POW by the Germans; sometimes far from offical statement based on Geneva Convention.      We also vistited Malbork to pay tribute to their father's friend who was shoot just because he made an ugly comment ...

Pawel was interviewed by a journalist from a prestigious magazin: :"Wiadomosci Historyczne" about  Stalag XXA history and comunists camp after the war. That was also an interesting discussion about prespecitves of using old camp area in future education. Thanks such activites we are trying to promote knowledge about less known part of city history in which  involved thousands of peoples' lives all over the world.

          We are happy to learn that Tom McGrath who vistited us last winter, to get information about his father's stay in Stalag XXA between 1940-1942, captured at Dunkirk in 1940  (We wrote about his visit here:  https://bit.ly/2SRBqSf ) fot. dailymail.co.uk During his research Tom McGrath discovered that his father - Tom McGrath snr was given 3 medals:  - The Military Medal  - 1939-1945 Star  - The War Medal but he did not receive them in person. And now after 75 years his son, at the ceremony at the British ambassador's in Dublin got the medals! fot. dailymail.co.uk Read more about the story:  https://dailym.ai/2SRCEgj https://bit.ly/2FpoT5q

       Last year, we did some research about POWs burials in Torun, Stalag XXA between 1939-1945. We have found quite a few names of late Prisoners of War. All of them, were exhumated after the IIWW. Today, we publish a first part of the document. name and surname rank POW date of birth date of death   funeral date Frank Grafrey (?) senior private POW 19.11.1920 01.07.1940 04.07.1940 Wiliam Alfred Winchester senior private POW 15.08.1915 14.07.1940 17.07.1940 Robert Smith senior private POW 15.12.1915 18.07.1940 22.07.1940 Aloys Ramsel POW 08.01.1916 07.07.1940 11.07.1940 Herbert Sykes senior private POW 22.09.1906 21.07.1940 24.07.1940 Edward Gaarden senior private POW 30.11.1914 22.07.1940 25.07.1940 Peter MacKay(MacRay) senior private POW 18.12.1917 08.08.1940 10.08.1940 Arthur Marant(?)