Death and illnesses in Stalag XXA

Marienburg Commonwealth Cemetery

Illnesses

Because of the poor conditions POWS were very weak, many of them died, hundreds were so weak that they could barely move. Many POWs suffered from TB, skin sores, loss of teeth, hair loss, stomach crumps and diarrhoea. Yet, there were many men who did not managed to deal with mental problems, some POWs simply went mad, one POW even jumped off the roof.

Each fort contains a small dispensary with some 10 cots, but cases of any seriousness are sent to the hospital in the above mentioned fort situated between the two forts occupied as living quarters. This lanaret has 170 beds, but was occupied by 43 patients of whom 3 only were Britshers; two were surgical cases and one man was suffering from pneumonia. These men were being looked after by a British sanitary corps however the surgical cases were minor ones, one suffering from a cyst while the other had an injury to his knee. The lasaret was clean and well kept; its 15 closets which were provided with newspapers for use and had been recently installed, provided a welcome contrast to the unattractive closets of the forts.

Pic.3. Funeral in Stalag XXA

Death

Many POWs died in Stalag XXA, those were buried in garrison military cemetery in Thorn, others were transported to Marienburg Commonwealth Cemetery (see above photos). Yet what is worth mentioning, Germans allowed the honorable funerals which included salves and flags on the coffins.

references:

"Let me out you bastards".2011.Toruń

US embassy reports from 1940

Camp histories

Comments

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...

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...

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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