We’ve been discovered…………….. by some Polish historians who
have a website to promote their town. Schweidnitz POW camp originally on German
land is now part of Poland. It turns out
they had started writing about the POW camp in their township of lower Silensia
for their website in 2019. Later they discovered my Schweidnitz POW blogs
written during 2020 and were able to put faces to the escapees.
A comment wishing to contact us went unnoticed (sorry). Coincidentally when Gail
and John were checking details about the escape it prompted a search with
different parameters and turned up the Polish website Swidnica Historical
Portal. We wondered who had our
information and some of our photos. Contact was made.
Andrzej Dobkiewicz who is passionate about their local area is a local
historian and Editor in Chief of the
website. His group of historians are keen to disseminate the history of the
city and the region. He’s also written about the POW escape “The Sensational Escape of the English” in
January 2019 in the Odkrywca Monthly.
Our transglobal group of volunteers has suddenly got valuable insiders interested in helping with inside information on the site, its history and its current use. Thank goodness our new friends at have more English than we have Polish language skills. #TranslationGoogleIsOurFriend
Suddenly spurred on by Andrzej’s comments that it “could become the canvas of a good sensational film” our team held long distance crisis meetings to ensure that out our years of research were protected to an extent. Luckily, Andrzej was quite understanding of our position and has even offered to help in exchange for information for his website.
Andrzej has provided us with fresh files -some things we haven’t seen before and offers of help when the spring melts the snow. We are hoping he can access German newspapers and other archives when they reopen after Covid and see the prisoner’s experience from the German locals’ experience. He explained that as the area was used in World War II also, little information has survived after the Nazi rule. Some critical monuments, structures and cemetery have been lost.
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| Schweidnitz camp then and now 2021 (new photo courtesy of Andrzej Dobkiewicz) |
Funnily enough, a local postcard from 1918 was issued by the local Germans. A large escape such as this had caused some stir. Many had been covertly helping the prisoners and there was lots of local admiration for the courage of the 24 Schweidnitz escapees on that March night in 1918.
A scan of the postcard was supplied by Richard Townsley, the grandson of Austin Benyon also a “guest “ of the POW camp. The postcard translated says “Eight metre long tunnel which ends at the Promenaden Kaffe which the English officers who escaped from March 19-20 1918 made and used to escape.” The location of the escape hole near the Promenade Café (now demolished) may be a bone of contention but you have to admire the enterprise of the locals in taking advantage of the adversity in the area and making some money. The POWs were always writing home to their families. Andrzej also holds a copy of the post card.
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| Postcard Commemorating the Escape supplied by Richard Townsend grandson of Austin Benyon POW |
Andrzej’s website will soon have a version of Gail’s recent Escape story. Here are links his two previous website posts.
http://historia-swidnica.pl/sensacyjna-ucieczka-anglikow-cz-1/ (Sensational Escape of the English)
http://historia-swidnica.pl/swinie-na-drodze-do-wolnosci/ (Pigs on the Road to Freedom)
We are a long way off from producing a book let alone getting a film deal- LOL- but it has spurred us on. There’s plenty more to investigate yet. One day we hope to visit the town, tour the site and pay our humble respects. Perhaps we’ll be on the way back from the Oscars if not before. #StillHaveLotsToDoIn2021
Here’s to a continuing partnership with the Swidnica Historical Portal.
Please contact us if you have any information about the POWs
in Schweidnitz.or Swidnicki Portal Historyczny
Copyright 2021
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