Honoring the Legacy of POWs in Toruń on the Anniversary of WWII's End

Honoring the Legacy of POWs in Toruń on the Anniversary of WWII's End – A Special Visit to Stalag XXA Sites

On the anniversary of the end of World War II, Toruń became the setting of a deeply moving encounter with history. Linda and Barbara – the niece and daughter of British POW Jack Bird – visited the city to pay tribute to his memory and trace the locations connected to his imprisonment in Stalag XXA. The visit, carefully prepared since autumn 2024, was a powerful reminder of the legacy of prisoners of war in Stalag XXA, which Toruń continues to honor and preserve.

Since the autumn of 2024, we had been working to establish precise historical facts and identify the exact places where Private Jack Bird was held during his captivity in the Stalag XXA prisoner-of-war camp in Toruń. Our goal was to prepare a meaningful and historically grounded journey for Barbara and Linda — one that would lead them as close as possible to the real sites their father and uncle once knew. Their visit was based on verified archival data, including valuable documents shared by the guests themselves. Together, we were able to map out a detailed route that turned this journey into a direct and personal encounter with the past.

Private Jack Bird served in the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment. In 1940, during the operations of the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) in France, he was captured by German forces near Arras. He was then transported to Stalag XXA in Toruń, where he remained a prisoner until the end of the war. His imprisonment included time spent in Fort XVII and Fort XIII, known as the British Camp. He also received medical treatment in Fort XIV, the POW hospital, for a broken finger, ankle injury, and lung issues. At one point, he was forced to work as part of a labor detachment (Arbeitskommando) in Czersk.

Linda and Barbara’s visit to Toruń coincided with a significant moment — the anniversary of the end of World War II. They took part in the city’s official commemorations, standing alongside representatives of local government, the military, and veterans’ organizations. One of the most powerful and solemn moments was their participation in the tribute at the memorial obelisk dedicated to the victims of POW camps in Toruń, including those who suffered in Stalag XXA. Every year, the city of Toruń makes a point of honoring this place and its history, reaffirming its commitment to preserving the memory of POWs.

This was far more than a historical tour. It was an act of shared remembrance — a deeply personal yet universally significant gesture that connected the past with the present. Thanks to this collaboration and the research that preceded it, we now know much more about the life of Jack Bird and the prisoners of war in Stalag XXA in Toruń. The visit of Linda and Barbara served not only as a tribute to their loved one but also as a poignant reminder of the importance of preserving the legacy of POWs in Stalag 20A and recognizing the role of Toruń in this chapter of wartime history.

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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