I was abducted by the Nazis as a boy and forced to build D-Day defences
Today, the Kirkby grandad will be the guest of honour at a memorial service
Good morning and welcome to Thursday’s Ashfield News. Today, a Kirkby grandad who was abducted by the Nazis during the war will be the guest of honour as the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings is held.
Elsewhere, there is sad news for a major Ashfield employer which has ceased trading, and more Parliamentary candidates have been announced.
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Nazi victim guest of honour for D-Day memorial
Wladyslaw Nazar was just a boy when he was abducted from his home in Poland by the Nazis and forced to work.
The 97-year-old, who has now lived in Kirkby for more than 70 years and is known as Walter, went on to work in Germany and occupied France, where he was forced to build concrete bunkers.
These bunkers would be used by German forces in battles with the Allies who landed on the Normandy beaches to liberate Western Europe in June 1944.
Recalling the traumatic moment he was taken from his home, Walter recalled: “My mother sent me to buy some yeast from town, but German lorries pulled up and I was taken with other boys and old men.
“They took us to a railway station and put us on trains to Germany to a slave camp. We were treated terribly, had very little to eat and slept on straw. I was living with Russian and French prisoners of war.”
Walter, who was 12 when Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, triggering the start of the Second World War, would eventually escape his captors and join local partisans attacking German patrols.
He then joined an American combat division, working as an ammunition carrier and an interpreter of POWs at the end of the war.
Walter added: “We were demolishing railway lines at night and hunting the Germans; they were hunting us. We needed their weapons and supplies. One day we heard tanks but it was the American army.”
The 80th anniversary of the June 6 D-Day landings holds a lot of resonance for Walter due to his wartime experience.
In recognition of that, he and his wife Judy will be guests of honour at a special service at St Wilfrid’s Church, Kirkby, today, June 6.
Councillor Arnie Hankin, the district council’s chairman, said: “It’s a privilege and a honour to be able to welcome Walter and Judy Nazar as we commemorate D-Day 80 and the part so many played in helping liberate Europe from the Nazis.”
When the war came to an end, Walter remained with US forces in Nuremburg and he eventually came to Britain among other exiles from Eastern Europe.
He spent time in Cambridge before moving to Nottingham, where he would meet Judy in 1953. He spent the rest of his working life as a miner.
The couple, who have been married for 66 years, have four children, seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Firm ceases trading after 32 years
A packaging firm which supplied products to the likes of Asda, Lidl and Holland & Barrett has ceased trading after more than 30 years.
Surepak, which was headquartered at Annesley’s Sherwood Business Park, lost two significant contracts which led to the company’s turnover falling by £1m.
During the global energy crisis, its electricity costs also rose by 425%, according to administrator PKF Smith Cooper.
A buyer was sought for the company, which had run for 32 years, in February, as the firm filed for administration.
Surepak continued to trade in the short term amid interest from 96 parties who were investigating whether to take on the business.
But in a statement on its website, a PKF spokesperson said: “Despite the optimum effort following a merger and acquisition process, and various offers being received, the sale progression has subsequently been unsuccessful, resulting in Surepak Limited sadly ceasing to trade on 10th May 2024.”
The company’s fixed assets, including plant and machinery and office equipment, are being made available for sale.
The spokesperson added: “The Administrators are disappointed with the ultimate outcome in not securing a sale of the business and assets as a going concern, however, they would like to wholeheartedly thank the employees for their hard work and dedication, as well as customers for their continued support throughout this difficult process.”
Planning Inspectorate intervenes on village homes plan
The Planning Inspectorate has approved a controversial proposal to create nine homes in a Nottinghamshire village.
Ashfield District Council refused the plans for land next to Trevelyan in Blackwell Road, Huthwaite, in November last year.
This had followed concerns from residents when they were first announced in 2022, with fears the development would create traffic problems and have a detrimental impact on wildlife.
The homes themselves would have a mix of detached and semi-detached properties, consisting of two-, three- and four-bedroom properties.
When Ashfield rejected the plans for the site, among the reasons was concern the homes would compromise the development of the wider site.
This in turn, the council said, would have a negative impact on the character and appearance of the site.
But in its decision to overturn the refusal, the Planning Inspectorate stated: “I do not find that the proposal would lead to piecemeal or premature development.
“The proposal would not prejudice the possible development of the wider proposed housing allocation.
“Furthermore, any development of the land within the wider proposed housing allocation could contribute to any required infrastructure improvements in the area.”
It added: “The council’s claim that the proposal would fail to deliver a functional, safe, or an accessible built environment is not substantiated.
“In respect of the latter, while the appeal site is in the countryside, it is nevertheless very close to a settlement, where there is a choice of modes of transport, and where there would be some off-site pedestrian improvements made in association with the nine dwellings proposed.”
Latest Parliamentary candidate announced
Debbie Soloman has been selected as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Ashfield.
Ms Soloman said she was “absolutely delighted” to be selected for the seat.
Also standing in Ashfield are Lee Anderson (Reform), Alexander Coates (Green Party), Rhea Keehn (Labour) and Jason Zadrozny (Ashfield Independents).
Mansfield Town stand works revealed
New images show the work taking place on Mansfield Town’s Bishop Street Stand.
The structure has been condemned for almost 20 years and is best known among football fans for being filled with advertising boards.
The Stags, who will be playing in League One after promotion last season, confirmed the stand would be renovated to increase the capacity at Field Mill.
The plans were announced by owners John and Carolyn Radford, who said they aim to have the new stand in place by the 2025-26 season.