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STALAG XXA & WORKING CAMP LOCATIONS
The following document lists some of the main camps and
working camps administered by Stalag XXA, at Thorn in Poland during WW2. These
are collectively known as Stalag XXA. Stalag XXA was not a single camp and
contained as many as 20,000 men at its peak.
POW’s of the rank of Sergeant and above could elect under
the Geneva Convention not to work and if they did so were not required to work
and therefore sent to non-working camps. In accordance with the Geneva
Convention, POW’s who were required to work, were treated as little more than
slave labour. Working POW’s were hired out to Military and Civilian Contractors
and were referred to as the Arbeitskommando. In the case of farm work, this was
often carried out on State Farms, with minimal living conditions. When working
for Civilian Contractors, conditions were little better. Work camps could be
large and created particularly for a project i.e. camp (34) at SCHULITZ. This
was used for the construction of a large housing project for German Colonists.
These are not the traditional POW camps we see on the films with lots of
barbwire and Guard Towers but merely accommodation centers.
Each camp within the
administration area was given a number. If you have surviving copies of POW
letter cards, the number can be found in brackets following XXA; on the
sender’s details i.e. XXA (34) is a camp at SCHULITZ. The number of working
camps fluctuated but in the summer of 1944 there were 190 within the XXA
administration area. POW’s often started in one of the larger camps i.e. Fort
11 & 13 and then were assigned to
working camps. Later when their work was completed, they would be reassigned
after returning to one of the larger base camps.
Thorn is located in the Polish Corridor south of Danzig
modern Gdansk, on the banks of the Vistular river. The Polish Corridor was
created after WW1 by the League of Nations and was later annexed by Germany
after its invasion of Poland in 1939. Along with colonising the area with
Germans, they also changed a lot of the Polish names. These names have again
changed since the war with Russian occupation.
When the Russians overran Poland and XXA, the POW’s were
marched out into Germany. In the case of GRAUDENZ NEUE HIEMAT, this was 2
January 1945. These POW’s from GRAUDENZ NEUE HIEMAT, were finally liberated by
the British over 3 months later south west of Hamburg. They had walked all the
way with only the food and water they could scrounge in the middle of winter.
The Thorn area and what remained of XXA (hospital from fort 14), was liberated
by the Russians on 21 January 1945.
Location
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XXA NO
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Occupants
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Remarks
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BOROWKE
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20 men
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Farm work
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BRACHLIN
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10 men
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Farm work
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BRAHNAU
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600 men in 2 camps
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Sand shifting
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BRUSS
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20
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50 men
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Road and sewage scheme
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DEUTSCH CEKZIN
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Farm work
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DORF WALDAU
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30 men in old schnapps factory
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Farm work
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GEMWALDAU
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18 men
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Farm work
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GOETZENDORF
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30 men
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Farm work
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GRANAU
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!5 men
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Farm work
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GRAUDENZ
INTERNAT
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35
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450 men
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Working in town factories
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GRAUDENZ
NEUE HIEMAT
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35
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189 men
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Satellite built by men from Internat working on building
site
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GRAUDENZ POW MILITARY PRISON
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150 British + French & Belgium
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Punishment prison for POW’s serving sentences issued by
German Court Martials
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GROS LUBIN
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Farm work
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GROS ZIRKWITZ
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14 men
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Farm work
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GRUNLINDE
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5 men
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Farm work
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GUT KONSCHUTZ
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Farm work
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HASENAU
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16 men
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Farm work
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KAMIN
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14 men
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Farm work
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KARLSDORF
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16 men
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Farm work
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KLEIN BARTELSEE
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450 men
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Sand shifting
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KOENIGS NEUKIRCH
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Farm work
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KONITZ POW ward
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6 men summer 1944
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Civilian hospital
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KONITZ
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30 men
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Work in town
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KOSELITZ
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12 men
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Farm work
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KRUSCHIN
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9 men
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Farm work
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KULMISCH NEODORF
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20
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11 men
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Farm work
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LICHNAU
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35 men
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Farm work
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LOTTIN
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Farm work
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LOWIENEK
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8 men
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Farm work
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LUSHKAU
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18 men
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Farm work
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MAXTAL
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40 men
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Railway yard working in sidings
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MONTAU
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18 men
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Farm work
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NEUHORST
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18 Men
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Farm work
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NEUKIRCH
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At village school
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Farm work
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NOWE
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Working in sawmill
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OBERWALDEN
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16 men
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Farm work
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OBKAS
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Farm work
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OSTERWICK
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10 men
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Farm work
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PRUSS
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12 men
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Working in flour mill
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RESMIN
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20 men
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Farm work
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SALESCH
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20 men
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Farm work
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SANSKAU
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42 men in 2 camps
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Farm work
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SCHARFENHOF (SKARPI)
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16 men
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Farm work
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SCHLAGENTHIN
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12 men
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Farm work
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SCHLUSSELMUHLE
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Farm work
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SCHMENTAU
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20 men
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Farm work
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SCHULITZ
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34
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114 men
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Building site for homes for German Colonists
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SCHULITZ
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48
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SCHULITZ
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129
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200 Men
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Working in ship yard on banks of Vistula
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SEEHOF
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10 men
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Farm work
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STARGARD
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120 men
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Working in town
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STIRNAU
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Farm work
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STRASBURG (BRODNICE)
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90 men
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Working in town & railway yard
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Thorn (KOPERNIKUS)
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British non working NCO’s. first Later one compound 4000
Russians, small Russian Italian Hospital, other compound occupied by those
turned out of fort 14 hospital in summer 1944
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Two compounds of wooden huts. Non working camp 3 miles
south of Thorn.
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Thorn Fort 11
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1
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Used for POW registration in July 1940 later occupied by
25 top French Generals moved from Germany
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Thorn Fort 13
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3 & 13
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Central camp for administration of XXA.
Working parties in town
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Thorn Fort 13A
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Working parties assigned
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Thorn Fort 13B
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Thorn Fort 14
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40 regular staff +New Zealand dental unit from Crete
Australian doctors of 5 Australian General Hospital from Greece
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Hospital for XXA
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Thorn Fort 15
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400 Warrant Officers and NCO’s
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Non working Camp for men previously in Stalag XXA &
XXB
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Thorn Fort 16
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Top French generals
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Thorn German Military Hospital
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More seriously ill
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Ward in civilian hospital in Thorn
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TREUL
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16 men village school
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Farm work
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VANDSBURG
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Farm fun by Protestant nuns (Sister Edna)
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Farm work
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WALDOWKE
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13 men
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Farm work
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WILKENWALDE
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30 men
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Farm work
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WEICHSELHORST
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20 men
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ZAHN
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10 men
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Farm work
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ZEMPELBURG
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100 men
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Sawmill producing sectional huts
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ZEMPELKOWO
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16 Men
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Farm work
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MILITARY FORTS AT THORN
The forts around Thorn were built to protect it from
invasion and were constructed with reparations received from the1870 war
between France and Germany The following is a list of the Polish names of the
Forts at Thorn. I know from research that Forts 11 to 16, situated on the south
bank of the Vistula, were used for POW’s. I have included the other names where
known, as these may also have housed POW’s at some time. The Forts at Thorn,
were cleared of POW’s in the Summer of 1944, when they were prepared for the
defence of Thorn against the Russians.
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FORT
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NAME
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1
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?
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2
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?
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3
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S JABTONOWSKIEGO
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4
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STAFANA ZOTKIEWSKIEGO
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5
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KAROLA CHODKIEWICZA
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6
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JAREMY WISNIOWIECKIEGO
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7
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TADEUSZA KOSCIUSZKI
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8
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KAZIMIERZA WIELKIEGO
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9
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BOLESTAWA CHROBREGO
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10
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BATERIA NADBRZEZNA
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11
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STEFANA BATOREGO
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12
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WLADYSTAWA JAGIETTY
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13
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KAROLA KNIAZIEWICZA
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13A
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PRZYCZOTEK MOSTOWY
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13B
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KOLEJOWY
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14
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JOZEFA BEMA
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15
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HENRYKA DABROWSKIEGO
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16
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?
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Map showing the Thorn area.
Fort 13.
Fort 15.
Michael Roche
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I thought you may like to publish the attached list of books as it provides more information
for families of men now dead, researching the subject:
Escape Route Green by Warren Tute, (ISBN 0460039636).
Private Leonard Green and Angus Paton managed to escape and made it back to
England via Sweden. Both were awarded the DCM which were presented to them
by King George V1 at Buckingham Palace on the morning of 6 June 1944, D-Day.
Being Jewish, Leonard took an amazing risk to escape.
Prisoner of Hope by David Wild (ISBN 0-86332-711-7)
Memories of POW Chaplin at Stalag XXA Thorn Poland. He visited soldier in
work camps administered by XXA the area of Thorn. In 1943 there were 180 of
these with as many men as 600 working at one location.
A TERRIER GOES TO WAR by Jim Roberts (ISBN 0-75410-257-2)
This is the true story of the experiences of a member of the Territorial
Army, or 'Terrier' from the time of the Munich crisis in September 1938
until demobilisation in February 1946. Taken prisoner while serving with the
Queen Victorias Rifles in Calais in May 1940, Jim was shipped off to Stalag
XXA Thorn in Poland where he became prisoner of war number 10706
A CONDUCTORS JOURNEY by Major James Howe, MBE
With musical instruments bartered from German guards, exchanged from Polish
prisoners and some provided through British Red Cross channels, he formed a
dance band which helped maintain the morale of British captives in Poland
and Berlin. He was at Stalag XXB just north of Stalag XXA
Mike Roche
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Photographs
Back of the Photo
The above photos show Pte. Fred Bates and fellow prisoners at Stalag Luft XXA.
Raymond Keech.
Names written on the back of above photo: Ron Gilkes, T.Q. Palmer, J.R. Craig, Ken Brown, A. Godfrey, W.A. Gibson,
N. Scudder, W. Cope, G. Nicholson, F. Wright, George T. Brown, Walter Vasey
(my dad, first on the right as you look at the photograph).

This ia a photograph of a small group of POW's with a guard.
I believe this to be Stalag XXA. It looks like they are working in a quarry.
My dad Walter Vasey is on the guard's left in the white shirt and cap. Unfortunately,
I do not know who the others are. The photograph is dated June 1944.
Here is the notification my mother first received that my Dad was a prisoner of war. I like the touch about the Post Office.
Terry Vasey
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The following information is taken from a diary kept by
Sapper Rex Pearson 262 Field Company ROYAL ENGINEERS during his
time as a POW in Poland. He was registered to STALAG XXA which consisted
of a number of camps located in some of the 24, 19 centuary underground
forts around THORN, various hutted sites, work camps and farms.
| DATE |
LOCATION in XXA |
REMARKS |
| 8 Jun to 18 July 1940 |
Fort 11 |
POW processing |
| 19 July to 19 April 1941 |
BRUSS Camp 20 |
50 POW's Still in contact with Laurie Dorins and "Natty" |
| 20 April to 28 April 1941 |
Fort 13A |
Awaiting assignment to working party |
| 29 April to 14 August 1942 |
SCHULITZ Camp 34 |
114 POW's Met Colin Virley after the war. In touch with Fred Walton until he died. "Picculo" Pete also present. |
| 15 August to 22 August 1942 |
Fort 13 |
Awaiting assignment to working party |
| 23 August to 26 November 1942 |
KULMISH NEODORF Camp 20 |
11 POW's harvesting |
| 26 November to 30 November 1942 |
Fort 13 |
Awaiting assignment to working party |
| 1 December to 6 February 1943 |
GRAUDENZ INTERNAT Camp 35 |
450 POW's |
| 7 February to 1 March 1943 |
GRAUDENZ NEUE HIEMAT Camp 35 |
189 POW's"The Baron" also present This was a satellite to Internat hence same camp number. |
| 2 March to 7 March 1943 |
Fort 13 |
Awaiting assignment to working party |
| 8 March to 6 March |
Fort 14 |
Hospitalised.This was used as a Hospital for POW's |
| 7 April to 13 July 1943 |
Fort 13 |
Awaiting assignment to working party |
| 14 July 1943 to 1 January 1945 |
GRAUDENZ NEUE HIEMAT Camp 35 |
In touch with Bob Jacobs and Jimmy Gates |
| 1 January to April 1945 |
Poland & Germany |
Forced March from Graudenz to near Hamburg over
a period of 3 MONTHS and 3 WEEKS. He was liberated in Germany by English Troops. |
He would like to contact any of his old comrades who were in
these camps at the same time as he was.
Please contact via his son-in-law, Mike Roche
Update: Thanks for publishing my father in laws details on your site. It has
resulted in a contact from the family of a Frank Curtis, Australian Army,
who was shot at Stalag XXA in September 1943. A chance in a million but my
father in law has a record of him being shot but cannot remember the
incident. He was witness to a number of shootings, including one the long
march out of Poland to freedom in 1945. He has been able to provide a lot of
unknown information for the family together where Frank is now buried. My
father in law is now researching amongst his POW friends who are still alive
to see if they can throw any more light on the subject.
Keep up the good work.
Michael Roche
COPY OF ‘DIARY’ ENTRIES OF FRIENDS MADE 1940 to 1944
BY SAPPER REX PEARSON
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NAME
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ADDRESS
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NAME /
NICK
NAME
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MET WHERE & WHEN
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E Axon
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11 Galbraith Rd, Didsbury, Manchester
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Stooge
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Schulitz 41-42
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J Adderley
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Wiltshire St,Salford 7, Lancs
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Jack
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Week 10 of March in 45
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J.E.Bird
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Collier St, Marden, Kent
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Dicky
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Fort 11 40
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L Barden
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Nedrabs, Pett Rd, Fairlight, Sussex
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Les
262 RE
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