British Prisoners of War

Details regarding British Prisoners of War (PoW) are archived on the following basis:

1) Before 1793

2) The French Wars 1793 - 1815

3) Crimean 1853 - 1855 and South African (Boer) War 1899 - 1902

4) World War 1
a) Officers
b) Other Ranks

5) World War 2
a) Captives of the Germans
b) Captives of the Italians
c) Captives of the Japanese
d) Merchant Navy
e) Other WW2 Records

6) Korean War

1) Before 1793
There are a few items relating to PoWs during the American Revolutionary War and the naval actions of North America. These documents relate to British, German and American officers who were potential candidates for exchange.

2) The French Wars 1793 - 1815
Lists and accounts of British PoWs in France and in other locations were recorded by the prison staff. These documents include names, origins and disposal of prisoners in the prison. They mainly cover naval and civilian prisoners.

3) Crimean 1853 - 1855 and South African (Boer) War 1899 - 1902
Generally only officers who became PoWs were listed by Regiment in the London Gazette and these records are incomplete.

4) World War 1
There is no comprehensive list of British PoWs for WW1. Therefore it can be difficult to prove a man's PoW status and the camps in which he was held. There are differing sources for officers and men.

a) Officers
There is list for British Army, RAF, RNAS and Royal Naval Division officers who became PoWs. This list usually gives name, rank, date when he went missing, where / when interned and repatriation date. If he died whilst a PoW then it gives the place & date of death. On repatriation officers were required to file a report about their experiences whilst captive and these reports (if they have survived) are normally filed with the officer's service record.

b) Other Ranks
There are no known official or published sources that determine if an other rank or NCO was a PoW. It should theoretically be recorded on their service record. However the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva does hold an incomplete list of known PoWs (for both World Wars).

5) World War 2
There are numerous records relating to WW2 British and Commonwealth PoWs. They cover all services and the Merchant Navy too. For research purposes these records are filed according to which enemy captured the individual concerned. There are exceedingly informative Escape and Evasion Reports and these are the primary document regarding the man's internment.

a) Captives of the Germans
There are registers of approximately 169,000 British and Commonwealth PoWs. These cover all ranks who were held in Germany or German Occupied Territory. Details normally recorded include name, rank, number, regiment / corps, PoW number and (final) camp location. It is also useful to contact the Red Cross as noted in the WW1 section above.

b) Captives of the Italians
The Italians announced an Armistice on the 8th September 1943 and at this date there were an estimated 80,000 Allied PoWs in Italy. The PoWs were ordered to "standfast" and wait for liberation by the advancing Allied forces. However the reaction to the Armistice varied from camp to camp and some men took opportunity of the situation to escape. There are escape reports for escapers who travelled South to Allied lines and for those who escaped to Switzerland. 

c) Captives of the Japanese
There are about 50,000 cards regarding British servicemen that were compiled by the Japanese. These cards give details about the PoWs such as camp, name, nationality, rank, place of capture, father's name, place of origin etc. Also there are details of about 13,500 civil & servicemen captives held in Singapore.

d) Merchant Navy
The records for MN PoWs are extensive and there are also details of ships captured / sunk. These records are an excellent source of primary data.

e) Other WW2 Records
It was intended that all PoWs on repatriation would complete a report. This did not materialise but about 140,000 reports have survived. There are also reports on help given to Allied PoWs by civilians and these can be a very informative source of data.

6) Korean War
There are lists of all known British and Commonwealth PoWs covering all services between January 1951 and July 1953. However the interrogation reports for ex-PoWs are closed for 75 years.