WARTIME GUIDES

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, w...

Ken came to Toruń with his wife Sue tracking his father's steps in Stalag XXA (20A). His father worked in a workshop repairing shoes, clothes and theatre costumes. His comrades were Sam Kydd and Albie Tomson. The first one, after the war became a famous actor and the latter after leaving the camp died in the plane crach near Paris, France. Thanks to numerous documents and materials we were able to move back in history and see Torun in a wartime persepective. The reason for our visit to Torun was to try and identify and visit as many sites that my father Corporal Ron Harrison, 7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, would have been at during his five years in captivity at Stalag XXA during the Second World War. Ron rarely spoke about his time as a POW but he did have a considerable collection of wartime pictures plus a number of hand drawn sketches from publications such as “The Prisoners Pie”, which was an official paper produced by the prisoners. Ron signed up...

        This time we had a great opportunity to host a son of Corporal Tom MacGrath from 51st Highland Division, Mr Tom MacGrath When Tom jr wrote to us, we were more than curiuos to learn about his father stay in Stalag XXA. It turned out that after spending two years in dreadful conditions of Stalag XXA, corp. MacGrath decided to escape from the camp. It took him some time to prepare the operation. But with help of local Home Army he managed to do so. The route was difficult and exhausting but fortunatelly through Barlin, Paris and finally Spain he got home safe and sound. Thanks to British Army reports, his son and grandson recently retraced Tom's footsteps, crossing the Pyrenees into Spain. It was a next thriving visit in which we actively took part! Hope for more!

Now in Torun left only few remains of  Stalag XXA. When we retraced paths of exPOW the really treasure is heritage cointained in stories. There are many fascinating about escapes from Stalag XXA. But each one is worthy to read:

Thanks to our cooperation to Museum of Dobrzyńska Land in Rypin , Poland we had a great opportunity to give a short presentaion about Stalag XXA and working camps around Rypin. This city is located on the East of Kujawsko - Pomorskie region and since 1941 there was a working camp of Stalag XXA, Thorn (now Torun). Thanks help of the locals we possessed a lot of new facts: how did the camp worked and relations between citizens and Pows. What is more interesting,  we learnt about how partizans helped imprisoned soldiers, ways of escapes and farmers who hid soldiers who had decided to escape. Sometimes these stories could be script for a movie. We hope that with time we'll find new folders in local archives which fulfill white gaps in the history dedicated to personal storiers of British PoW's there. 

Sometimes we are wondering who more need guide during visit in Torun. Knowledge from each trip could become a book or movie script. Here Richard and Hamish, two brothers, after 70 years retraced footsteps of their father. A part of the sentymental side, this visit was very worthy when it comes to information about soldiers from New Zeland and medical service in Stalag XXA, Stalag XXC and Stalag 357.  Capt. "Dick" Spencer ( New Zeland ) was captured on Crete in 1941. After 11 days his transport arrived to Torun (Thron), then he was sent to Fort XV. As well as his vocation was he still helped POW's with toothache etc. in different camps, subcamps and villages. There are many fantastic stories about how he recreate tooth without special laboratory and equipement.  Well talented soldier had also other passion, he dreamed to learn playing on piano accordion, as it tourned out there weren't plenty safety places for begginer musician as near guards but this is subject ...

More than 20 000 people from different countries like never before  waited for consignment from a camp post...  Christmas time was well celebrated especially by POW's. Men from rooms and wooden huts  prepared their own Christmas dinner, sometimes small gifts, and of course interiors, were well decorated by hand made ornaments and Christmas tree. What is more, actor groups prepared special shows (concerts, dance bands, plays, pantomimes) related to Christmas tradition and very often written in the camp. For Christmas were also published special number of a camp newsletter: Prisoners Pie (or New Prisoners Pie) Very interesting is also fact that POW's assoctations in motherslands organised events like competitions for the best Christmas hand made postcard! Front page of  the Christmas Number The New Prisoners Pie Front page of  the Christmas Number The New Prisoners Pie When it comes to the Christmas dinner, it's necessary to point out that the...

Since last post we found new documents and facts about Stalag. Slowly but precisely we started to analyse them and acquired stories which could be a script for some war movies... At first we would like to share with you a very interesting story of signalman Edward Smith. This man served in Australian Army, he was caught in Greece but escaped many times from different POW's camps. Last stop was in Stalag XXA in Torun.... he met here his brother, felt in love and many more.. but he decided to escape again... In Stalag XXA - probably on Working Camp near Brodnica Edward is 5th from right standing  When he arrived to Warsaw with false documents Polish Underground Army prepared for him transport to England. But it was last day of  calm in Warsaw. Everybody knew that something would happen in days, maybe hours. When Polish officer asked him if he is read to go to London Edward answered.... No. I know about planning uprising, I will join you and fight with you, because im ...

After one year of mailing and conversation on via Inernet we met in Torun. That was wonderful time. It gave us a lot of new knowledge not only about Stalag. Every single trip makes an new relationship, how worthy it it! My name is Sandra Butterfield and this story is about a trip I took to Torun, Poland with my father-in-law Ray Butterfield and my husband Mark. The trip was as a result of Ray’s love for his father Fredrick Butterfield, and the passion and dedication he had developed towards the 2/5Australian General Hospital in which Fred served. I never met Fred Butterfield, when I met my husband (Mark) Fred had passed away. But he still lived on in Mark’s memories. In the early days of our marriage on Anzac Day, Mark would go and retrieve a blue ice cream container which was full of military buttons and badges that his Pop (Fred) had brought back from the war and gave to him when he was young. Mark would place this container on the kitchen table and proceed to toast his Pop wi...

Dear Ex-Prisoners, if you would like to share your story about your stay in  Stalag XXA, we will be happy to publish it. Please contact us (wartimeguides@blogspot.com), if you are interested in this project.