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Prisoners of War and War Crimes in WW2 We will conduct research into The National Archives holdings on crimes committed by Germans and Japanese, (and others), during WW2. WO 344 This newly released series, (Dec 2004), comprises questionnaire-style reports of interrogation of Allied forces evaders, escapees and liberated prisoners of war; compiled by MI9, a branch of the directorate. Information includes acts of bravery by the prisoners, civilians who had helped prisoners, movements of prisoners, and casualties among other prisoners. Information about behaviour of enemy captors which could constitute illegal acts was recorded on a separate sheet usually, and not kept with the main report, but passed to the Allied authorities investigating alleged war crimes. We will also search war crimes case files, among the records of the Judge Advocate General. The National Archives describe their holdings on War Crimes as follows:- In the early 1940s the Allied governments began seriously to address the issue of war crimes and their investigation. At a meeting of representatives of seventeen of the Allied nations in October 1943, the United Nations War Crimes Commission (UNWCC) was established. Its purpose was to collect, record and investigate evidence of war crimes and their perpetrators, to liaise with national governments to this end, and, at a later stage, to advise governments on the legal procedures to be adopted in bringing suspects to trial. It was the responsibility of the national governments concerned to act upon the evidence supplied to them by the Commission. The first official meeting of the UNWCC was held in January 1944, and the organisation continued to be active until 1948. The Soviet Union declined to participate. The records of the UNWCC, its sub-commissions and committees, are housed in the United Nations Archives in New York. Documentation on all aspects of the UNWCC's work occurs in the General Correspondence of the Foreign Office. We are experienced in researching these complex records. Please Email us for an obligation free quote for help with your project. Kindest regards Bob R W O'HARA 15 Ruskin Avenue Kew, Richmond TW9 4DR England Return to Home Page
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