release or exchange of Allied/German POWs

[Volker_Nemsch]

With the armistice signed in November 1918 the fighting ended in Europe. In this armistice agreement the Germans had to release all POWs as soon as possible.

When did the last Allied/German POW return home?
(There were several problems in the East, because of the Russian civil war and the fights for independence in some `new` countries in this area. I´m mainly interested in the POWs at western frontlines.)

Was there any exchange of POWs during the war?

Thanks in advance!
Volker Nemsch

I believe that the only POW's that were exchanged during the war were those that were badly wounded and more than likely would not be able to fight again.
These exchanges took place through countries like Switzerland & Holland.
I presume the Red Cross or some other organisation oversaw the exchange of prisoners but perhaps someone else can confirm that.

Of the Australian POW's that I've researched most seemed to leave their prison camps in Germany or Turkey pretty soon after the war ended. They then went to Britain. Due to shipping requirements most of the Australian POW's didn't reach Australia till 1919-1920

Cheers

Volker,

"When did the last Allied/German POW return home?"

Thanks to forumites, Gordon Branch and Hannes Tager the AFC website has several of the interrogations and debriefings of the AFC POW's by both the German Army and the Australian Army. They are at;

• http://members.nbci.com/pointcook/af...n_2afc_pow.htm
  http://members.nbci.com/pointcook/af...n_4afc_pow.htm

Several of the debriefings done by the Australian Army include descriptions of the lack of food towards the end of the war and how they demobilized.

Lt E.J.Goodson writes;

"When the Armistice was signed. I was placed under the protection of the Dutch consul and on parole- not to leave the building. The building I was in was made a receiving depot for british prisoners of war., brought there by the Germans and placed under my charge. I sent the men towards the frontier in batches of between 50 and 150 in charge of officers or NCO's with a passport for the Germans Soldiers Committee. Only 10 days of rations were left for 30 men. Over 200 came the next day. We had no rations with which to supply the men moving out. We were fed entirely by the Belgian Relief Committee. After clearing the camp of Prisoner of War I was given permission to leave and made my way to Calais. I arrived in Calais at 7.30 am on 27th November 1918 and sailed for Dover the same day."



cam
Australian Flying Corps Website

[mike_baram]

I would assume that Russian prisoners would have been repatriated once Russia dropped out of the war, or at least be interned rather than be imprisoned.
Any info on that?

[rammjaeger]

Mike,

neither Germany nor Russia were very fast in releasing the POW. In 1919 during the fights around Munich (so-called "Munic Soviet Republic") Russian "POW" were taking part as well as German ex-POW were fighting for the Soviets in the early 1920´in Europe and Asia.

Volker,
even many German soldiers suffering serious of serious wounds did often not come back from French POW before 1920.

[rammjaeger]

These unwanted smileys are really nerving.

[Volker_Nemsch]

...don´t worry Hannes! Smile!