‘Prisoners of War 1914-18’ by Adam Powell
British POWs of the Great War have received nothing like the attention of World War II prisoners. There are no equivalent dramas like Colditz and the Great Escape in the public imagination. Yet a similar number of British POWs were captured by the Germans and the conditions they endured were at least as bad. The death rate was higher than front-line soldiers still fighting in the trenches. This talk focuses on a group of British and Commonwealth soldiers that have largely been forgotten. It will examine how they were captured, their treatment in German Prisoner of War camps, and the consequences after the war.
Adam Powell is a history teacher and a Western Front guide. His book, Soldiering On, about Great War veterans came out in 2019. He was moved to write this because of his experiences with survivors of both World Wars.
This meeting will be held in Cobham. Members of The Western Front Association and non-members are equally welcome. We ask for a modest £5 donation on the door. This includes tea, coffee and biscuits at the break (before the Q&A session with the speaker).
Members joining us at Cobham can use our new cashless card system and use their credit card/phone with the new reader that will be available at the signing-in desk.
To help make things easier and safer, we are asking those coming to Cobham to bring their own mug for coffee or tea.
Adam’s talk starts at 8pm. Doors open at Cobham at 7:15pm and the meeting starts at 7:45pm.
The photo shows British prisoners of war at work in a German prisoner of war camp in Germany in 1915. © IWM Q 53726