How BRUTAL Was Life In A BRITISH Prisoner Of War Camp?

As the Allies stormed Normandy during D-Day and following other victories in the different theatres of the Second World War, they captured thousands of prisoners of war. Many of these were German and Italian POWs and between the US Army and the British, these prisoners were split in half. In Britain, initially there were only a few POW camps set up but as the Second World War turned against the Germans, more were created. Many Italian soldiers who were captured after the North Africa Campaign ended up making many of the camps. As time went on they were joined by hundreds of thousands of German POWs. But what were conditions inside the British POW camps like?

The conditions for the German and Italian prisoners were very good compared with camps in the Soviet Union. The Soviet camps had a death rate of around 35%, but the British camps had a death rate of around 0.03%. The prisoners were treated well and humanely, and they were also allowed to have some degrees of freedom. Most prisoners were pressed into work in agriculture and food supplies, but after their days work they were free to do many things. Many of the camps had entertainment venues and music halls where prisoners were encouraged to write their own plays and perform them. Concerts were held where the guards would bring their wives to watch, and despite there being strict rules, many prisoners were very happy to be imprisoned in Britain.

The conditions were much more relaxed, but there were a number of controls and guards were armed with truncheons incase there was trouble. If a prisoner broke the rules they would be held in solitary confinement. But after the end of the Second World War, 25,000 German prisoners decided to settle in Britain because they wanted to start a new life there rather than to head back to Germany. Some had even received money from their work on the fields. A number even married British women whom they'd met when they were allowed out for walks around the local area. Conditions inside British Prisoner of War camps were significantly better than most places during and after World War 2.

So join us today as we look at, 'What Life Was Like Inside A British Prisoner Of War Camp.' Remember to support our channel, please make sure to subscribe.

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