Tracing a Father's Footsteps – A Journey to memories and remains from Stalag XXA in Toruń

Bryan and Emma traveled to Toruń with one very personal goal – to uncover the fate of Bryan’s father, William, who was a prisoner of war in Stalag XXA from 1940 to 1945. Like many from his generation, William rarely spoke about his wartime experiences. That’s why this journey felt like assembling a puzzle – complex, demanding, but deeply meaningful.

Through the analysis of archival documents and fragmented memories, we were able to reconstruct a highly detailed timeline of events that led to William’s capture. It all began near Dunkirk, where he was taken prisoner by the Germans and transported to the POW camp in Toruń. Further research led us to the people he was interned with, including Sam Kydd – a post-war actor who later recounted his experiences in Stalag XXA.

The journey to Toruń was not just about visiting the former camp site. We wanted to show Bryan and Emma the broader context – what the city was like under occupation, the living conditions in the camp, and how the fate of prisoners intertwined with historical events. Only by doing so could we provide a full picture of captivity in Stalag XXA and its impact on the prisoners’ lives.

Every such trip is deeply emotional. It is a moment when history becomes tangible, and long-hidden memories come back to life. We hope that for Bryan and Emma, this journey was not only an exploration of the past but also a personal experience that allowed them to better understand William and his wartime story.

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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