Tracing History: How a Small Skating Detail Unraveled a Mystery

The journey of two sisters from Scotland to Toruń had an extraordinary goal: to find the places where their father stayed during World War II. They knew only a few details about his auxiliary service in a hospital, but their determination and desire to discover their family history led them through the fascinating corners of the city. Upon arriving in Toruń, we began with conversations and analyzing the scant information they had. They knew their father worked in a hospital, but the exact location remained a mystery. After a lengthy discussion, we managed to determine that he was most likely assigned to the medical facility on Jęczmienna Street.

Stalag 20A camp structure history and organizatorom

However, this was not the only clue. Family stories indicated that their father used to skate on handmade skates on the moat around one of the forts in winter. This led us to Fort XIV, the only fort in Toruń with a moat, which served as a hospital for Stalag XXA prisoners during World War II. The discovery of these places evoked a wave of emotions and sentiments. It was a moving moment when our guests realized they were walking the same paths their father once walked. Toruń, known for its beautiful old town and splendid monuments, revealed itself to the sisters in a new light. Behind every brick and every corner, there were stories of people whose fates intertwined in this place. It is these details, often inconspicuous, that allow us to reconstruct almost every point from the wartime period in Stalag XXA in Toruń. The sisters' journey ended in success. Finding the places associated with their father not only enriched their knowledge of their family history but also helped them understand the importance of preserving the memory of the past. Thanks to their determination, Toruń became a place for them filled not only with historical monuments but also with personal memories that will forever remain in their hearts.

One of forts where Prisoners of War Stalag 20A were held

Comments

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...

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...

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