PoW uniforms

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by barnsey, Mar 22, 2009.

  1. barnsey

    barnsey Guest

    A question has arisen as to what uniform were U-boat crew allowed to wear in PoW camps both in the Uk, Canada and USA.

    Where did the uniforms come from if any was allowed.... ie did it come via Red Cross.

    Finally were they allowed to wear such items as the Iron Cross if it had been awarded to them.

    David
     
  2. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    It was different, slightly, for officers and men.

    Officers were allowed to wear their uniforms (I think they had to wear their uniforms under the Conventions on the treatment of POWs), usually the ones in which they were captured in. If and when they needed replacing, maybe if damaged beyond use during capture, or overtime, then the holding country was supposed to replace them. These could be captured uniforms or provided by the Red Cross.

    However, under the POW conventions, enlisted men could be made to work, in factories and farms not direct contributing to the war effort. Those POWs held in Canada and the US had the letter 'P' painted on the back of jackets to make identification easier.

    For U-boat crews in particular I've attached a couple pics of officers held at Bowmanville POW Camp
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

  4. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    International Humanitarian Law - Geneva Convention Prisoners of War 1929
     
  5. barnsey

    barnsey Guest

    Kyt,

    many thanks for your prompt reply ... those photos you have posted are in dispute. I reckon they were taken in Germany not Bowmanville.

    Too many insignias ... where did they come from .... certainly not when they were captured etc....

    Will revert later...

    Great replies .... thanks very much ... keep them coming.
     
  6. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

  7. barnsey

    barnsey Guest

    Hmmmm .... very interesting indeed ...
     
  8. Kyt

    Kyt Άρης

    Barnsey, do you have information to the contrary - i.e. pictures, documents etc that state that officers were stripped of their uniforms, insignia, medals etc?

    One thing that should be mentione dis that there maybe pictures of Germans in camps after the war. However, by then the Americans had stripped them of their POW status - their rationale was that as the German government had surrendered, and the country had been occuppied, then the status of those who surrendered when the state did had no status under the Conventions for POWs. I have seen pictures of those officers who were held after the war who have had their uniforms taken away from them, or at the very least all insignia etc removed.

    Disarmed Enemy Forces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Surrendered Enemy Personnel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
     

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