Three Generations in Toruń – Tracing the Legacy of a Stalag XXA Prisoner of War

This was a truly extraordinary and moving visit. All the way from Ireland, three generations of the same family — the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Corporal David Hann — came to our museum in Toruń. It is not often that we have the privilege of welcoming such a multigenerational group, united by a shared desire to learn about their ancestor and understand the legacy of the Stalag XXA POW camp in Toruń.

Corporal David Hann served in the 1st Gordon Highlanders regiment. On June 12, 1940, during operations in France, he was captured by German forces at St. Valéry. After being held in a transit camp (Dulag), he was transported on July 10, 1940, to Stalag XXA (Stalag 20A) in Toruń, where he remained until May 17, 1944, before being transferred to Stalag III A.

During their visit, we used the documents and details shared by the family to guide them through key locations associated with Stalag XXA POW camp in Toruń. We aimed to share as much knowledge as possible, helping them understand the realities of life as a British prisoner of war in Toruń under the German occupation.

It was a visit filled with emotion and heartfelt remembrance. Most of all, it was inspiring to see how younger generations are engaging with the past. The legacy of British POWs in Stalag XXA is no longer anonymous. Thanks to visits like this, it lives on — in family memories and in our shared historical consciousness.

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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