Prisoners of War in Germany
1. Under the terms of the Geneva Convention prisoners only had to give details of their name, rank and serial number but interrogating officers often tried to trick captured servicemen into giving away more information through clever questioning.
2. Individual camp layouts varied from camp to camp, but all were enclosed with barbed wire and contained guard towers which were manned by armed German soldiers ready to shoot anyone trying to escape.
3. Troop train carrying prisoners of war Prisoners would then be transported to a prisoner of war camp.
4. The most well known German prisoner of war camps were known as either Sta lags, short for the German word Stammerer, or O flags, short for the German Officer Lager.
5. Before being sent to a camp, a captured prisoner of war had to pass through a Du lag, short for the German Durchgangslager.
6. All prisoners looked forward to deliveries of Red Cross food parcels which contained 'luxury' items such as butter, biscuits, chocolate and condensed milk as well as dried fruits and vegetables.
7. There were also camps known as Mar lags, short for the German Marinelager, which were for captured naval servicemen.
8. Prisoners were usually housed in one-story wooden barracks which contained bunk beds (two or three high) and a charcoal burning stove in the middle of the room.
9. Daily routine varied from camp to camp but all prisoners would be expected to parade at least once daily for a roll-call.
10. At intervals the train would stop and all the prisoners would be expected to get out of the train to either relieve themselves or empty their bowels by the side of the track.
2. Individual camp layouts varied from camp to camp, but all were enclosed with barbed wire and contained guard towers which were manned by armed German soldiers ready to shoot anyone trying to escape.
3. Troop train carrying prisoners of war Prisoners would then be transported to a prisoner of war camp.
4. The most well known German prisoner of war camps were known as either Sta lags, short for the German word Stammerer, or O flags, short for the German Officer Lager.
5. Before being sent to a camp, a captured prisoner of war had to pass through a Du lag, short for the German Durchgangslager.
6. All prisoners looked forward to deliveries of Red Cross food parcels which contained 'luxury' items such as butter, biscuits, chocolate and condensed milk as well as dried fruits and vegetables.
7. There were also camps known as Mar lags, short for the German Marinelager, which were for captured naval servicemen.
8. Prisoners were usually housed in one-story wooden barracks which contained bunk beds (two or three high) and a charcoal burning stove in the middle of the room.
9. Daily routine varied from camp to camp but all prisoners would be expected to parade at least once daily for a roll-call.
10. At intervals the train would stop and all the prisoners would be expected to get out of the train to either relieve themselves or empty their bowels by the side of the track.