WARTIME GUIDES

Some journeys go far beyond sightseeing — they become personal pilgrimages into family history. This was the case for Wayne , who came to Poland to discover the places where his father, a British soldier and prisoner of war during World War II, was once held captive. Wayne’s father was a gunner in a tank crew . He was captured following the British retreat at Dunkirk and later interned in Stalag XXA in Toruń , and then transferred to Stalag XXB in Malbork . These details were uncovered through preserved wartime records. The most extraordinary moment of the visit happened in the Malbork City Museum , where Wayne saw something unimaginable — his father’s Bible from captivity , discovered by a local woman and donated to the museum. Such moments are incredibly rare and deeply emotional. Wayne was joined by his daughter, representing the next generation. Together, they experienced a moving journey through history — exploring Polish cities, landscapes, and cuisine, all while gaining a deepe...

          We are happy to learn that Tom McGrath who vistited us last winter, to get information about his father's stay in Stalag XXA between 1940-1942, captured at Dunkirk in 1940  (We wrote about his visit here:  https://bit.ly/2SRBqSf ) fot. dailymail.co.uk During his research Tom McGrath discovered that his father - Tom McGrath snr was given 3 medals:  - The Military Medal  - 1939-1945 Star  - The War Medal but he did not receive them in person. And now after 75 years his son, at the ceremony at the British ambassador's in Dublin got the medals! fot. dailymail.co.uk Read more about the story:  https://dailym.ai/2SRCEgj https://bit.ly/2FpoT5q

the battle of Dunkirk At the beginning of May 1940 Hitler decided to attack the Low Countries. The Low Countries is a historical name for Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxemburg.   The British Expeditionary Force (BEF), French and Belgium troops had been situated on the French and Belgium border with Germany since September 1939, awaiting the inevitable German attack. Germans under the commander General Gerd von Rundstedt made a decision to attack the channel ports before the Allied troops could evacuate. Using the “blitzkrieg” method of attack (rapid advances by armoured columns supported by overwhelming air superiority) British, French and Belgian armies were rapidly overcome.   General Lord Gort who was in charge of the British Expeditionary Force, foresaw that the German attack would rapidly overrun the British forces and would arrive at the channel ports before the BEF could be evacuated to England. Therefore, he conducted a series of fighting retreats to the po...