Hi, my Mums side of the family came from Gdansk. My Mum herself was born in a Displaced Persons camp in germany after the war. I am now doing a PhD at Manchester (UK) and am researching everyday life/ memories of polish people who lived in the dp camps after the war. I'd love to hear from anyone who would be happy to talk to me about their memories of the campps or from anyone who can help me contact former dps.
My mom was born in dp camp also. I am trying to find info. about it as we are going to Poland in August. Her paperwork says Camp Kadima, but I can not find any info. on that camp. Have you been able to find info. on your mothers camp?
Also going to Germany as that is where the camp was actually.
My mom was born in dp camp also. I am trying to find info. about it as we are going to Poland in August. Her paperwork says Camp Kadima, but I can not find any info. on that camp. Have you been able to find info. on your mothers camp?
Hi Wozzy - i hadn't heard of Hallburn, so will have a look into that - how long were you there for? Are there any societies or anything like that where the former DPs meet/ get in touch with each other?
Hi Alex - sorry, haven't heard of that camp. My Mums camp was in Fallingbostel, then later Mariental. You could have a look at the website dpcamps.org - this site has a list of all the dp camps.
i hadn't heard of Hallburn, so will have a look into that
I've tried to google in the past and didn't get much at all. However the camp was just outside Longtown in Cumberland, it was wartime service hostpital. Our family lived there fo about seven years. In effect it was made up of nissan huts with round corrigated steel roofs and pot bellied stoves for heating, there was also pre fabricated huts in another section of the camp, later in the period of my being there one came available and we moved into it for a couple of years.
Gradualy as time went on the people moved on, most went to the industrial areas of the northwest and some stayed on but not many. I'd been to Scotland for the new year and out of interest stopped had lunch in the hotel at Longtown. Got talking to one person who had stayed in the area, he was a nieghbour living two doors down although I don't remember him personaly I certainly remembered the family name.
Not much left of the place now just a couple of the concrete buildings once used as a community hall, the rest have been demolished years ago and the land returned to farm land.
Will take my Mother up for a visit next month she and her old friend will enjoy the chat.
Thanks for all the info. As I said in my first post, I'm doing research in the form of interviews with former DPs - if you and your Mum/ her friend would like to have a chat with me about your memories of the camp (just everyday life there), maybe we could sort something out? You can contact me by email at Manchester Metropolitan University - I've supplied my university email address in my profile.
Will ask her next time I see her.(Sunday).......But don't hold out on that, she's 84 and in good health but dosn't like being quizzed. I have a hells job asking about Stary krai.
Have you tried the Red Cross War Victims and Holocaust Archives and Tracing Services? There is a UK branch, I believe, but I only know the US site.
They have lots of info, some of which they got from dp persons themselves during and after the war in various countries, from camps the Red Cross visited at that time, and some of which they got from papers left by the captors (in the case of work camps) or dp surviviors they helped find new locations afterwards.
They can help find people, possibly put you in touch with living relatives and sometimes, they know where caches of letters from people searching for their missing relatives are, which they may have been given or are holding in their files for survivors, when found.
Go here to start, but check for the UK branch, too; there may be a link for that at this site:
Wozzy - Please contact me. My Father grew up in the Hallbrun DP Camp. I have visited the huts that are left.
I Believe from what my Father has told me, that two families shared one hut, and had a curtain seperating the two halfs.
My Nana was captured in Poland and sent to a working camp in Germany where she meet my Grandfather (luckily for me). When they were liberated they had a choice of returning to thier village in Poland, or coming to England (Via Italy), they opted for the latter, and here I am today.
I woul dlove to chat to you, so see if you remember my Family, the Pacyna's. My Father, Michael was not born in the UK, but was not one when they arrived. The entire family is:
Mother: Julia Father: Leon Brother: Charlie Sisters: Julia & Ella
The family were eventually given a home in Longtown, which still have a large Polosh Community. As a kid grwoing up in Bedford, I was the odd obe out with a Polish name, but summer holiday's in Longtown were great, as I was one of many Polish surnames.
I can be contacted at darren@phoenixoptics.com
It would be good to hear from anyone that knows my Family or remember the Hallburn camp.
Hi Polishdaz.....It's good to here from someone who has walked the same path.
I personaly do not remember your family but I shall ask mother if she remembers the names. You say you grew up in Bradford we still have contact with some families in Bradford who also lived in Hollburn,I'll get a list together and see if you know any of them.
I'll try and post a picyure of my first home .....don't know if it will work I'm quite hopeless.
I'll try again ... Nope still not working file too big I, ll try again when more time.
Well Polishdaz........I've just had a word with my mother and she says she remember's the name of pacyna quite well, but tell me did your family have red hair ?
It was my father and his siblings that lived at Hallburn, I grew up in Bedford mate, sorry, not Bradford (bad typing).
You can send pictures to my email address: darren@phoenixoptics.com
I would love to show them to my father. Also, as luck would have it, I am going up to Longtown to see Nana next weekend, and will show here this forum, I know she will enjoy all the memories.
The Pacyna family are well known in Longtown itself, so I am not supprised your Mother recalls the name, I will ask my Father and Nana about your family, what is the surname you went by whilst at Hallburn ?
I will visit Hallburn camp site, and take some pictures of the siet now when I go up and will share these with you and your family.
Me and my sister had alburn hair, not red/ginger though. I will ask Father, as my Aunties/Uncles may have had, when they were younger.
Reason I asked Mother says she was Godmother to a Pacyna boychild but she couldn't remember the name. Could it be your Dad or Uncle maybe ?.............
As I mentioned in my email, the kids did have red hair Wozzy, so it is a posibility that your Mother is Godmother to one of my relatives, and that would be just amazing.
Right on this picture according to my mother is on the very left holding a glass Mr Pacyna. possibly your grandad....The lady withe the child on the right is Mrs pacyna , possibly your grandma . what her son was called she do's not remember.
the other two children in the center is my sister and myself, my father is extreme right next to the boy.
Wozzy, DO you think you could email the original file of the "Party_time" picture please. I would love to print it out and take it to show my Nana. The one you have posted here is rather samll when I copy it over.
Also, I have sent you some picture I have of the Pacyna family during thier time at Hallburn Camp. I have included the one of the whole family on this forum also, to see iy anyone else recalls the name/faces.
will do that today for you Polishdaz......meantime take a look at this site, you may find something of interest there. I found my mothers name on the ship passenger list that brought her to britian in '46.
Wozzy - That is brialliant, you are a ral diamond.
I found my Nana's name under: RMS ANDES. The ANDES sailed from NAPLES to SOUTHAMPTON carrying Polish Troops and Dependents arriving on the 30 September 1946
My father, although now a British citizen, and of Polish parents, was actually born in Italy, waiting for displacement.
I grew up in Hodgemoor dp camp nr Amersham, Bucks.Have just returned from a memory lane trip.Made contact with old friends from the area.Would be happy to share info with anyone interested. Bogusia
Greetings, I am currently involved in a piece of PhD research and am interested in contacting any British based volunteers (especially Quakers and non-Quakers who were in the Friends Relief Service or Friends Service Council - But am also very interested in talking to members of the British Red Cross, UNRRA and the IRO) who undertook work in the Displaced Person Camps in Germany after 1945. The FRS worked mainly in camps in Brunswick (Gypsy Camp), Goslar and Schleswig. I am further interested in contacting any individuals who had contact with the volunteer relief teams (FRS, British Red Cross, UNRRA or any other British based relief teams), including any displaced persons to whom they provided assistance. If anyone has any information, please do not hesitate to contact me at volunteersabroad@yahoo.co.uk
Hi my mothers name is sophia strupinski, and her mother and father weronika and szymon strupinsk and 4 brothers came over on the andes from italy, would be good to hear from you
Hi Hannah...Just great, have you any idea where your family were posted to after they arrived in Britain ?. Take a look at the site below if you haven't already..polishresettlementcampsintheuk.co.uk
Hi, I was also born in a dp work camp in Germany. My parents were from gdynia, and were displaced when the war started in 1939. I was born in wulferstedt, germany
eventually we ended up in Fallingbostel, Germany. My most vivid memories are of events in the fallingbostel dp camp. I eventually ended up in the USA in 1950.
If you are interested, I would love to share memories and experiences about those eventful years! I now live in Rochester Hills, Michigan
My grandparents, mother and aunt were dps in a small town called Schelklingen, Germany. They were there from 1946 until Jan. 1951 before coming to Canada.
