GrenPen Posted 15 April , 2017 Share Posted 15 April , 2017 Having been brought up on WW2 war films, several films of this genre cover prisoners of war. You get used to seeing men in battledress. Over the past few years, I have seen a number of photos of British POWs in WW1. Their uniforms seem to be of a dark colour. Would it be the case that dark blue patrol jackets and parade dress trousers were supplied via the Red Cross along with khaki battledress? Their smartness is striking. Whilst the photos are black and white, I get the impression that it was dark blue jackets rather than red coats that are being worn in the photos. Here is a picture, taken from another thread which prompted this question. URL from whence it was sourced: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P03236.089 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrenPen Posted 15 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 15 April , 2017 This man was captured at Ypres in October 1914. In the group photo, his cap looks too small. The jacket looks dark in the portrait photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 15 April , 2017 Share Posted 15 April , 2017 Hello, In principle, POWs in Germany were issued black or blackened uniforms with a brown armband sewn on and 5 cm wide brown strips sewn along the seems of the trousers. Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrenPen Posted 15 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 15 April , 2017 Thanks Jan. I had assumed the trousers with different coloured seams were parade dress trousers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 15 April , 2017 Share Posted 15 April , 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, GrenPen said: Thanks Jan. I had assumed the trousers with different coloured seams were parade dress trousers. If you carry out a search in this section of the forum using the terms 'POW' and 'prisoner of war' you will find many more images of the uniform concerned and further details regarding its provision. Edited 15 April , 2017 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrenPen Posted 15 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 15 April , 2017 Your reply is noted. If you are able to assist with ' further details regarding its provision' I would be grateful, as my search returned little info, and I would like to know more with regard to the uniforms worn in prisoner of war camps in Germany. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrenPen Posted 16 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 16 April , 2017 Whilst I am still not having much luck, I have been able to find the following few links which are of interest: What did POW's wear - GWF thread Oct 2006 POW greatcoat in IWM collection http://antique-photos.com/en/unidatabase/german-empire/445-pow-uniforms.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOK4 Posted 17 April , 2017 Share Posted 17 April , 2017 13 hours ago, GrenPen said: Whilst I am still not having much luck, I have been able to find the following few links which are of interest: What did POW's wear - GWF thread Oct 2006 POW greatcoat in IWM collection http://antique-photos.com/en/unidatabase/german-empire/445-pow-uniforms.html You have all the information there is about these uniforms. What do you need more? Jan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrenPen Posted 5 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 5 November , 2019 There's a good picture - of 21856 Private Ernest Henry Perry of the 8th Royal Berkshire Regiment - that has been added to British Army Ancestors. He is not wearing a black insert in his arm, but he is wearing a large white patch on his tunic, above his left breast pocket. Presumably it was taken not long after his capture. It got a mention on the British Army Ancestors facebook page yesterday. The writing on the patch is clear - for other photos I have seen with these patches, the markings have been hard to decipher. I have mentioned where it can be found, but have not posted a copy of the image, as that would be a breach, and respectfully ask that the copyright is respected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 5 November , 2019 Share Posted 5 November , 2019 (edited) I believe that the precise arrangements for the provision and the style of POW uniforms varied across Germany, i.e. camps in Prussia might well have made different arrangements to those in say Bavaria. I imagine it would be necessary to research within the archives of each respective area to ascertain precise details. Edited 5 November , 2019 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCL40 Posted 5 November , 2019 Share Posted 5 November , 2019 This is taken inside MUNSTER 1 POW camp. It seems to be real mishmash of different "uniforms". My gt gt Uncle Charles Davies Grenadier Guards 1st Battalion captured at First Battle of Ypres, sent this home. Thought it might be interesting to the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_history_buff Posted 23 October , 2022 Share Posted 23 October , 2022 I came across the following link to an image of a greatcoat in the AWM collection. The accompanying narrative is of interest, and makes up for the paucity of explanation on this thread as to how and why the POW uniforms came into being.https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C164359 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mancpal Posted 23 October , 2022 Share Posted 23 October , 2022 On a recent thread a member asked for help identifying a uniform. The shot was taken in a UK studio but clearly showed a pow uniform (so just post war). Here is where I expose my ignorance, having spent years researching my PoW Grandfather it had NEVER crossed my mind that they were repatriated in their PoW uniforms. I don’t know what I thought they wore but it would clearly be impossible to supply new uniforms, particularly as many would be demobbed shortly after. Confession over. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAW Posted 23 October , 2022 Share Posted 23 October , 2022 This photograph of John Andrew Gostick (left), G/14535 Private, B Company, 1st Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), shows him wearing an armband on his left arm and trouser stripes. The man on the right may not be British (French?) but has similar striped trousers. Gostick was captured near Guillemont, Somme on 27 Aug 1916 and held at Dulmen and Friedrichsfeld camps in Germany. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 23 October , 2022 Share Posted 23 October , 2022 (edited) On 16/04/2017 at 17:42, GrenPen said: Whilst I am still not having much luck, I have been able to find the following few links which are of interest: What did POW's wear - GWF thread Oct 2006 POW greatcoat in IWM collection http://antique-photos.com/en/unidatabase/german-empire/445-pow-uniforms.html It seems a bit of an exaggeration to suggest that there is little information concerning uniform worn by British POW. There are quite a number of threads regarding various aspects of POW Camps administered by Germany, including dress, since the forum first began. Many of them are defined by the name of the camp. The following were obtained via the simple search “POW Camp” (170 pages, many of them with relevant contemporary photographs). Here are just a small selection: 1. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/279068-cottbus-pow-camp-uniforms-and-nationalities/#comment-2852008 2. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/181572-pictures-of-gustrow-pow-camp/#comment-1763895 3. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/181572-pictures-of-gustrow-pow-camp/#comment-1763895 4. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/29620-help-needed-karlsruhe-pow-camp/#comment-232987 5. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/269778-cassel-pow-camp/#comment-2739020 6. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/166449-giessen-pow-camp-ww1/#comment-1619628 7. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/86504-dulmen-pow-camp/#comment-804169 8. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/156448-karlsruhe-pow-camp-picturesnames-faces/#comment-1509752 Edited 23 October , 2022 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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