WARTIME GUIDES

          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

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. 

It's really hard to write about trips when we meet people who was so close to stories which aren't written in any books. Fear, escapes and longing that typical features which appears very offten in memories of POW's relatives. This time we heard amazing story about three escapes and liberation by Americans. We really admire people who decided to visit our city sometimes for few hours only to see footsteps, places connected to Stalag but moreover to their personally history. Below we present you a brief from Michael's trip to Torun which is trully hard to publish at all. But belive us information about tunnels in Stalag XXA really suprised us!  Our trip over to Poland was wonderful and our accommodation at Hotel Spichrz was fantastic.  The studio was on two floors it was like an apartment but without the kitchen. I would recommend the Hotel without any hesitation. Prepeparation to trip    We started the morning with a presentation which my wife and found...

Saturday 21 February was the one of the most beautiful day in our guide career. During offical celebration of International Tour Guide Day we were awarded for our job to preserve internetional hertiage. After the event we went back to work because this evening Hania had lecture dedicated to POW and uknown stories from Stalag XXA. We are happy that somebody have seen our passion. That was hit of motivation for harder work. Thank you!

Austen Deans was a soldier of New Zeland forces. He was sent to defent country far away from New Zeland...firstly North Africa and secondly Europe. When German won capampaing in Crete Austen and rest of soldiers as a POW were transported to Stalag XXA in Torun. After four days of trip to Poland soldiers were located in old prussian forts. Austen was imprisoned in Fort XV. Below we present short part of his fascinating biography.... One of Austen Deans painting shows Fort XV In the first few months at Stalag XX-A Austen also worked as a temporary tailor, repairing old British army greatcoats for the Russian POWs. As they were not party to the Geneva Convention they had no access to supplies and provisions through the Red Cross, and would have frozen to death had the Germans not provided the coats. The three friends were able to continue painting. Austen carried on with his portraits of other POWs and as many landscapes as he could produce from within the confines of the camp....

It was pleasure for us to be guests one of the famous Torun's radio. Pawel had interview about history of Stalag XXA and modern "sentimental" tourism. That was a great opportunity to show unknown stories about POW's and expalin how this heritage it is worthy for unique groups like families, friends etc. who prepare to this trip sometime about one year and the are able to come here even from New Zeland. During the interview

One of the most famouse priests Jan Twardowski told that:  Let us hurry to love people they depart so quickly” Jan Twardowski. We met Jack by Skype and that was fantastic to spoke with man who remember true facts about war time in Torun. Thank you for whole knwoledge... Below we would like to show you the eulogy J ack Morgan Walker was born to Sarah & Sydney Walker on the 4th Oct 1922 at Cheetham Hill Manchester England. They immigrated to Australia in 1926, Dad was 4. They rented a house in Bronte where his younger brother Ralph was born in 1928. Dad attended Clovelly Infants School, Woollahra Opportunity School & Randwick Boys High. After gaining his Intermediate Certificate his first job was with Anthony Hordens in the city selling sox, ties and handkerchiefs. He then worked 2½ years as a window dresser at David Jones Store in the city. When he was 16 the family moved to Oatley. He was always mad on motor bikes so when he was old enough he bought a ...

Last days of june were a great adventure. Jason Cook (who arrived to Torun by motorbike) saw Stalag XXA remains. His father was captured in Norway. Below memories from his trip...  My name is Jason Cook and I have been doing some research on my father who served during WW2. He was Private 4859218 John George Cook of 1/5 Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment. He was captured in Norway on the 23rd of April 1940, at a place called Tretten. He was taken to Torun, Poland and incarcerated at Stalag XXA. On footprints of history As part of my research I have photo-copies of my fathers army papers, battalion war diaries, red-cross reports and more but to finalise it all I wanted to visit the places where he was captured and imprisoned and take photographs. These would then complete a binder I have been compiling on my fathers experiences. To that end I visited Tretten in March this year and have only recently got back from a 2420 mile motorbike ride to Torun...

We would like to inform that our local press published article dedictaded to people aroud the world who are travleing on the routes of POW's. Thank's that Torun wasn't destroyed in WWII  sightseeing of fortification is possible and in some objects are still visible oryginal Stalag XXA remains. Passionates form Torun and relatives from countries where POW's came from are probably last people who is remember about this heritage. Click here to see the article.

Last weekend of may we were guides for Evelyn and Wighton Clark. It was pleasure to show them places connected with Stalag XXA. Below we are showing a resume from trip of footprints of gunner Hugh C Bone. The day after the BBC’s television coverage commerating  the 70th anniversary of the evacuation of the BEF at Dunkirk, there was a programme shown relating to those soldiers who were left behind in Normandy, in the main the 51st Highland Division, a Division who along with the French helped hold back Rommel’s Panzers  in order to allow the evacuation to take place. Their understanding was that they would be evacuated too. During that t.v. programme, I listened to POWs recount their experience of battle and incarceration in Stallag XXA in Poland and for the first time I had an insight into what my father had been through from 1940 to 1945. From then on I wanted to find out as much as I could.  This was extremely difficult, as like the majority of POWs my dad ...

This video was created to show Fort XV, one of the forts which was a part of Stalag XXA in Torun. Old pictures mainly show Australians soldiers during daily routines and entertainment. We compare it to show how Fort XV looks today. Special thanks for all people who were involved in this project. www.wartimeguides.blogspot.com

Last long weekend, Paweł was asked by international radio RMF FM to give a talk about heritage and tourism of Stalag XX A. Talk was concrentrated on fort XI where you can see wartime pictures commemorating soldiers, prayers, political slogans etc.. Fort XV which is known for its interesting story. During the times of Stalag XXA, 1939-1945 there were imprisoned poeple of diffrent nationaliteis like Australians and Italians who refused to work for the enemy. Therefore, they had time to organize sport or theatre events. Learn more about fort XI and fort XV in the links.

I'm happy to say that Paweł's work has been described by The Guardian! The story tells about Peter Walker's visit in Toruń last year. He came to Toruń to find his grandfather's keys which he hid during his stay in Stalag XXA. And thanks to Paweł's research he managed to do so! after 70 years. This story is very motivating for us and shows us that our work is needed. Here is the link to the article

Last weekend was very sunny and fulled of Stalag XXA researches. Inspired by new sources we went to Fort XV and Museum Of Fortifications (http://www.torun.fortyfikacje.pl/) to find new facts about imprisoned soliders. Trip throught fort XV was interesting because we found places conncted with Austrialan soldiers. Normally Fort XV is closed but it is possible to get permission form the owner to get into. This object is not only conneted with WWII POW's. From modern facts we know that there where the comunists prison camp for german soldiers and polish civilians conneted with underground army AK... we belived that in archives are some notes which describes stories conneted with them. During your staying in Torun we trult recommend The Museum of Fortifications it shows very interesting facts about forts but not only because they have reprinted colletion of paintings of Frank William Wheeton one of the POW's in Fort XV. Thanks them we can see how looked like the Fort XV area during...

During researches in War Museum ( www.muzeumhw.pl ) we have found the handmade map of Stalag XX C. It was prepared by one of the citizen and witness of wartime in Torun.

We have managed to reproduce Stalag XXA area in google maps. Until today, what has been left from the Stalag is the fort 13, the Headquarter, restaurant and some other building. Huts no longer exists. Here is the map: