V-Day 2023. Incredible Visit, History, and Its Conclusion

Among the journeys following the footsteps of prisoners, there are challenges that are truly remarkable. Certainly, such was Jennifer's visit, who flew from Australia to see the places where her father had been. During his stay at Stalag XXA camp, he decided to escape, aiming for Gdynia and the smuggling route to Sweden. However, he was overwhelmed by the weather conditions and faced problems with water and food after successfully leaving the camp. The local population quickly noticed a person unfamiliar with the language, drawing the attention of partisans. In this way, Harvey joined the Gryf Home Army unit, fighting against the Germans until 1945. One could write extensively about his adventures and sometimes tragic events. Nevertheless, through preserved documentation and the memories of his daughter, all the places were visited and meetings with the Polish family of Harvey's wartime friend were held... what a meeting it was! The culmination of the search was the posthumous awarding of the Cross of Valor for his activity in the Polish resistance movement during the war. It's a sensational and full of twists story. In our "career," it's the second case when we met relatives decorated by the Polish government for fighting against the Germans during the occupation. We are delighted that we could participate in this incredible venture and help Jennifer learn about her father's history.

Equally happy may be the youth of Toruń. Thanks to the kindness of the marshal's office, a meeting with Jennifer was organized, during which she spoke about her father's wartime fate. This is particularly important for building awareness of the presence of prisoners and their fates in the region among the younger generation.

In the afternoon, together with Paweł Bukowski, a historical expert on stalags in our region, who also had the opportunity to give a presentation to students earlier, and Scott Best, the grandson of one of the British prisoners of war held in Toruń during the occupation, they jointly participated in the official ceremony commemorating the end of World War II. They also laid flowers at the monument dedicated to the memory of all prisoners of Toruń stalags.

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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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