Hi everyone, I know that many soldiers worked as POWs, although officers were not required to do so. But I was wondering if anyone knew whether the men were all forced to work if fit and able to or whether it was optional? I am guessing it varied camp by camp but any examples for either would be great Matt
Matt, I may be wrong, but if you were not an officer, you had to work. Some more then others. Stefan.
O.R. POWs were allowed to be put to work by their captors but should not have been employed in circumstances where their lives were put at risk such as a range of battlefield duties,handing munitions and clearing mines etc. NCOs above Corporal were not required to be put to work unless they volunteered.The RAF recognised this regarding captured non commissioned aircrew and introduced the policy from May/June 1940,that the minimum rank for aircrew would be Sergeant making compulsory work for this category illegal.In the first year of the war,many aircrew held the trade classification of AC2, AC1,LAC and Corporal as the RAF came to terms with the lower ranks structure for aircrew. Commissioned Officers were not required to work. This was set out under the terms of the Geneva Convention.Nevertheless adversaries infringed the convention where they could get away with it as regarding setting NCOs to work. Soviet forces did not have the protection of the Geneva Convention....the excuse being that the S.U was not a signatory to the convention.Consequently Soviet POWs were worked to death,ill treated by being deliberately deprived of shelter and sustenance. Commissars as captured POWs meant instant execution on being recognised and captured NCOs generally fell under the "bullet decree" Where the Geneva Convention was recognised between adversaries the appointment of respective "protecting power" ensured that the welfare of POWs was safeguarded. It has to be said that working POWs used the opportunity to stage escapes.However some manual work was exhausting and the working hours long.Worse must have been those working underground in collieries, being driven by output target seeking brutal overseerers.
