A handbook for the information of relatives and friends and prisoners of war
Title
A handbook for the information of relatives and friends and prisoners of war
Description
The blue cover with a price of twopence and two internal pages advising on the provision of prisoner's clothing, the sick and wounded, repatriation and protected personnel.
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.
Creator
Language
Format
One colour printed leaflet cover and two printed pages
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
MGallapagousR-LV771-180315-050001; MGallapagousR-LV771-180315-050002
Transcription
[royal crest]
A HANDBOOK for the Information of Relatives and Friends of PRISONERS OF WAR
TWOPENCE NET.
[page break]
[missing pages 1 to 7]
standard of nutrition, as well as to vary the monotony of prison camp diet.
These food parcels are not addressed to individuals, but are sent to the British Camp leaders, who distribute them within the camps to individual prisoners of war.
11. Clothing.
Under the Convention, the enemy Government should provide prisoners of war with adequate clothing, free of charge, except in the case of officers who are required to pay for it.
However, the enemy authorities have so far failed to carry out this obligation. In consequence clothing, which includes greatcoats, uniform, underwear and boots, is being regularly despatched by the British Red Cross Society to the International Red Cross Committee in Geneva, who forward it to the camps as required (see also paragraph 19 below).
12. Sick and Wounded.
In most respects sick and wounded prisoners of war are subject to the same provisions as other prisoners. The enemy Government is, however, under a special obligation to respect and protect the sick and wounded, to treat them with humanity and to give them all necessary medical attention.
Prisoners of war who are sick or wounded should be looked after either in separate hospitals or in infirmaries attached to the camps, where they can receive the treatment and attention which they need. Isolation establishments should be provided for patients who are suffering from contagious or infectious diseases. If a prisoner of war is seriously ill or in need of particular attention, he should be taken to a hospital specially qualified to treat him. Prisoners of war should normally be medically inspected at least once a month. While it would be idle to allege that the obligations imposed by the Convention
8
[page break]
have been universally observed, it is clear from the reports received that in most cases British prisoners have been well and conscientiously cared for.
British prisoners of war in enemy hands are looked after not only by the medical authorities of the enemy but also by a number of British doctors and orderlies.
In addition to surgical and medical supplies provided by the enemy Governments, the British Red Cross Society send out regular consignments of invalid foods, comforts and medical stores.
13. Repatriation.
Enemy Governments are required to send back to their own country without regard to rank or numbers, after rendering them in a fit condition for transport, prisoners of war who are seriously ill or wounded.
“Mixed Medical Commissions” consisting of three doctors, two of whom are neutral, have been set up to examine prisoners of war and to decide which are entitled to be repatriated. The types of injuries and illnesses which entitle prisoners to repatriation have been laid down by agreement with the enemy Governments.
Negotiations for the repatriation of wounded and sick prisoners are carried on through the medium of the Protecting Power.
14. Protected Personnel.
Medical personnel and chaplains attached to the armed forces, if captured by the enemy, should normally be sent back to their own country as soon as possible. However, it may be necessary that a certain number of medical personnel and chaplains should remain to look after their compatriots who are prisoners of war.
Medical personnel and chaplains are not technically prisoners of war. They are entitled to the same food, lodging
9
[page break]
[missing pages]
A HANDBOOK for the Information of Relatives and Friends of PRISONERS OF WAR
TWOPENCE NET.
[page break]
[missing pages 1 to 7]
standard of nutrition, as well as to vary the monotony of prison camp diet.
These food parcels are not addressed to individuals, but are sent to the British Camp leaders, who distribute them within the camps to individual prisoners of war.
11. Clothing.
Under the Convention, the enemy Government should provide prisoners of war with adequate clothing, free of charge, except in the case of officers who are required to pay for it.
However, the enemy authorities have so far failed to carry out this obligation. In consequence clothing, which includes greatcoats, uniform, underwear and boots, is being regularly despatched by the British Red Cross Society to the International Red Cross Committee in Geneva, who forward it to the camps as required (see also paragraph 19 below).
12. Sick and Wounded.
In most respects sick and wounded prisoners of war are subject to the same provisions as other prisoners. The enemy Government is, however, under a special obligation to respect and protect the sick and wounded, to treat them with humanity and to give them all necessary medical attention.
Prisoners of war who are sick or wounded should be looked after either in separate hospitals or in infirmaries attached to the camps, where they can receive the treatment and attention which they need. Isolation establishments should be provided for patients who are suffering from contagious or infectious diseases. If a prisoner of war is seriously ill or in need of particular attention, he should be taken to a hospital specially qualified to treat him. Prisoners of war should normally be medically inspected at least once a month. While it would be idle to allege that the obligations imposed by the Convention
8
[page break]
have been universally observed, it is clear from the reports received that in most cases British prisoners have been well and conscientiously cared for.
British prisoners of war in enemy hands are looked after not only by the medical authorities of the enemy but also by a number of British doctors and orderlies.
In addition to surgical and medical supplies provided by the enemy Governments, the British Red Cross Society send out regular consignments of invalid foods, comforts and medical stores.
13. Repatriation.
Enemy Governments are required to send back to their own country without regard to rank or numbers, after rendering them in a fit condition for transport, prisoners of war who are seriously ill or wounded.
“Mixed Medical Commissions” consisting of three doctors, two of whom are neutral, have been set up to examine prisoners of war and to decide which are entitled to be repatriated. The types of injuries and illnesses which entitle prisoners to repatriation have been laid down by agreement with the enemy Governments.
Negotiations for the repatriation of wounded and sick prisoners are carried on through the medium of the Protecting Power.
14. Protected Personnel.
Medical personnel and chaplains attached to the armed forces, if captured by the enemy, should normally be sent back to their own country as soon as possible. However, it may be necessary that a certain number of medical personnel and chaplains should remain to look after their compatriots who are prisoners of war.
Medical personnel and chaplains are not technically prisoners of war. They are entitled to the same food, lodging
9
[page break]
[missing pages]
Collection
Citation
Great Britain. Air Ministry, “A handbook for the information of relatives and friends and prisoners of war,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed May 13, 2026, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/collections/document/45358.