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During the Second World War just over 400,000 German prisoners of war were held in captivity by Britain and the Commonwealth. While numerous books on British POWs in Germany have been published, the story of German prisoners in Britain is largely unknown. Utilising new sources from individuals and archives Barbed-Wire Prisoners will redress this imbalance by telling their history from both British and German perspectives.
Attention will be paid to the dangers of surrender, the transit from the battlefield to POW camp and the rigours of interrogation, the latter including information from recently released files that German prisoners were subjected to physical torture. Also under consideration will be the conflicts between pro-Nazi and anti-Nazi prisoners, resistance to the British and escape attempts, including the German ‘Great Escape’. British policy and administration of the camps will be examined but at the heart of this book are the stories provided by the prisoners and their captors, and how, despite official restrictions, German POWs and British civilians forged lasting bonds of friendship.
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