Great Britain, Prisoners of War Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Great Britain

What is in the Collection?
This collection will include records from 1715-1947. The collection contains mostly British Prisoner of War records from wars that England was involved in during this time period. The records were filmed at the National Archives of England and the index is being created by FindMyPast.com. Some records are written in Japanese. Many of these are accompanied by English translations. If you should need help reading the Japanese characters, see the section [#For Help Reading these Records|For Help Reading these Records].

Collection Contents
Information contained in these records will vary depending on the war, record type, and country where the prisoner was captive.

Foreign Office Records may contain:
 * First-hand prisoner accounts
 * Dates of military service
 * Dates of imprisonment
 * Letters regarding prisoners of war

Second World War Records may contain:
 * Name of prisoner
 * Father’s name
 * Mother’s name
 * Place of origin
 * Date of Birth
 * Date of Capture
 * Occupation/rank
 * Camp/unit
 * Destination of report

Records of prisoners of war in the Far East may contain:
 * Records or certificates of death
 * Name of deceased prisoner
 * Date of death
 * Cause of death
 * Nationality of deceased
 * Rank and area of service

Records of prisoners of war in various localities may contain:
 * Names of prisoners of (but not limited to) the following nationalities--
 * British
 * French
 * American
 * Danish
 * Dutch
 * Spanish
 * Place and date of capture
 * Quality (military rank)
 * Ship name
 * Place of nativity
 * Age
 * Date and cause of death
 * Physical description

How Do I Search the Collection?
This section provides tips and information about how to search this collection and use the information you find. As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's name and approximate age or date of birth. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times. To search this collection by name: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Record Category" category ⇒Select the “Record Type, Date Range and Volume" category which takes you to the images Search the collection by image comparing the information you find with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images to make this determination.

For Help Reading These Records
Although some of the WWII records of prisoners in Japan are written in Japanese, English translations are included for most information on the record. If you should need further help, see the following resources:
 * Glossary of Japanese Genealogical Terms


 * WWII Japanese prisoner of war records may include “destination of report”. This may be where the prisoner’s family were living at the time. Use this location to search for family members’ names in local records.
 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the place of origin or place of nativity to search for a birth record. Also search for family members in local church and civil records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify other family members who may have been captured in the war.
 * Look at the image of the actual record to verify that information found in the index is correct.
 * Check for variant spellings of your ancestor’s name.

Related Websites

 * The National Archives—British prisoners of war c.1790-1919
 * The National Archives—Prisoner of war interview reports 1914-1918

Related Wiki Articles

 * British Military Records Online
 * England Miscellaneous Army Records (National Institute)

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image. Collection citation: Record citation (or citation for the index entry): Image citation: