From London and Dubai to Toruń – Tracing Their Grandfather’s POW History at Stalag XXA

Two cousins from different continents came to Poland to uncover the wartime past of their grandfather – a former prisoner of war held at the German Stalag XXA camp in Toruń.

In recent days, we had the honor of accompanying two cousins who traveled to Toruń to visit the place where their grandfather had been imprisoned during World War II. One arrived from Dubai, the other from London – united by a shared desire to reconnect with a difficult chapter in their family history.

Archival records show that their grandfather was captured near Dunkirk and transported to the Stalag XXA prisoner-of-war camp in Toruń. It is known that he was already wounded at the time and suffered from lung-related health issues, requiring medical attention.

However, his stay in Toruń was short-lived. Shortly after his arrival, he was assigned to a forced labor detachment somewhere within what is now the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region. These work units were scattered across local villages and towns, and living conditions were often harsh and demanding.

One of the most striking pieces of information found in the documents was a reference to an attempted escape and its serious consequences. Mentions of Gestapo involvement suggest that the episode may have been more dramatic and dangerous than initially assumed.

This visit was yet another reminder that, even decades later, the memory of wartime experiences remains alive. It was especially moving to see relatives from such distant parts of the world making time to come to Poland – to pause in a place where their loved one endured some of the most difficult moments of his life.

These journeys are not just about retracing history; they are meaningful acts of remembrance. They serve to remind us that behind every archival file lies a real human story – one that must not be forgotten. And that’s exactly why these visits matter.

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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