How many American POWs were captured during ww2?
How many American POWs were captured during ww2?
Of the approximately 130,000 American prisoners of war (POWs) in World War II (WWII), 27,000 or more were held by Japan. Of the approximately 19,000 American civilian internees held in WWII, close to 14,000 were captured and interned by Japan.
What happened to American POWs in ww2?
Prisoners were routinely beaten, starved and abused and forced to work in mines and war-related factories in clear violation of the Geneva Conventions. Of the 27,000 Americans taken prisoner by the Japanese, a shocking 40 percent died in captivity, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.
How many ww2 POWs are still alive?
The estimated number of living POWs decreased from nearly 32,550 to about 29,350, caused mainly by estimated deaths among WW II and Korean POWs.
Where can I find ww2 POW records?
The National Archives
World War II Prisoners of War Data File The National Archives has an online searchable database. This series, part of Record Group 389, has information about U.S. military officers and soldiers and U.S. civilians and some Allied civilians who were prisoners of war and internees.
What was the worst POW camp in ww2?
Stalag IX-B
Stalag IX-B (also known as Bad Orb-Wegscheide) was a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp located south-east of the town of Bad Orb in Hesse, Germany on the hill known as Wegscheideküppel….
| Stalag IX-B | |
|---|---|
| Type | Prisoner-of-war camp |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Nazi Germany |
| Site history |
Who was the longest held prisoner of war?
Floyd James Thompson
He was the longest-held American prisoner of war in U.S. history, spending nearly nine years in captivity in the forests and mountains of South Vietnam and Laos, and in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War….
| Floyd James Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Unit | 7th Special Forces Group |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
How do I get German POW records?
The National Archives and Records Administration in the United States has a collection of records for the German military. See Record Group 242, titled “Collection of Foreign Records Seized” for more details. Additionally, prisoner of war records of German servicemen also can be located at the National Archives.
How many American POWs survived ww2?
Guests of the Third Reich. Sixteen million Americans served in World War II. Of these, over 120,000 lived out part of the war behind barbed wire.
What happened to American POWs in Vietnam?
Most U.S. prisoners were captured and held in North Vietnam by the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN); a much smaller number were captured in the south and held by the Việt Cộng (VC). These missing personnel would become the subject of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue.