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Photograph of German soldiers taken prisoner (ADM 202/598a15a)

This is a brief guide to researching records of prisoners of war in British hands.

Records of prisoners of war in British hands are varied, sporadic and can be complicated. They are also largely incomplete. Those records which do exist are available at The National Archives, local archives or the International Red Cross.

  • What do I need to know before I start?

    • Try to find out:

      • the name of the person
      • the rank and regiment (where applicable)
      • the date range and location to help focus your search

  • What records can I see online?

    • There are no significant collections of records of prisoners of war in British hands available online.

  • What records can I find in other archives and organisations?

    • Records of the International Red Cross (1914-1918, 1939-present)

      Visit the International Red Cross website for information on how to request access to records about prisoners of war and civilian internees for this period.

    • Photographs of prisoners of war in British hands (1914-1918, 1939-1945)

      Visit the Imperial War Museum website for information on how to access photographs of prisoners of war, for both the First and Second World Wars, in various collections held by the museum.

  • The National Archives is not responsible for the content of external websites.

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Did you know?

The National Archives holds very few lists of enemy prisoners of war for the world wars. Those lists that do survive are largely incomplete.

Most official lists naming enemy prisoners of war in British hands during the First World War were destroyed by German bombing during the Second World War.

It is difficult to trace an individual who was a prisoner of war in British hands during the Second World War. The best sources of information are local archives, libraries, newspapers and local history groups.

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