POWs and Internees - Australian Army History Unit

Department of Defence Historical Document

Report on The Directorate of Prisoners of War and Internees
at Army Headquarters Melbourne 1939-1951

Both a transcription and a scan of the original paper document is now available online.

The original paper version (circa 1953) of this substantial, 700 page document is in very poor condition, with a number of pages damaged and the words often unclear. While the transcription is as accurate and complete as it can be, it inevitably contains errors and omissions.

Subsequent minor amendments marked on the original document have been incorporated. Significant deletions are indicated. Please note that a number of deletions were made on 6 February 1962, initialled by what appears to be either "NMJ" or "NPF".

Context

The Directorate of Prisoners of War and Internees was established in 1939 as part of the Adjutant General's (Chief of Personnel) Department in Army Headquarters, which was then in Melbourne.

Its responsibilities were initially:

the custody and control of civilian internees detained in Australia under National Security Legislation and of those sent to Australia under arrangements with the United Kingdom and other Governments, and
the custody and control of enemy prisoners of war captured by the A IF, later extended to those POW held in Australia on behalf of the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Under the Geneva Conventions, enemy nationals (e.g. Germans and Austrians) who happened to be in Australia when war broke out could be interned for the duration of the war. This was a routine security precaution as the loyalty of these people was to their own country and they may have sought to advance the interests of their country against Australia. Australia had responsibilities, including seeing that the internees were properly fed and clothed and that their children received an education.

After mid 1941 the responsibilities of the Directorate were expanded to include the protection of the welfare and interests of Australian prisoners of war held by the enemy and, after the war, the organisation of arrangements for their return to Australia. Initially this involved liaison with international organisations such as the Red Cross which reported on conditions in POW camps.

The treatment of Australian POW by the Japanese led to the final responsibility of the Directorate, the tracing, apprehension and trial of war criminals.

The role of the Directorate meant that it was not finally disbanded until 1951.

This report was prepared both to record the work of the Directorate for historians and to provide a basis of knowledge should the Australian Army ever have had to establish a similar organisation in the future.

Explanation of Terms

Within Army Headquarters the Adjutant General was responsible for all personnel matters (specifically medical matters were addressed by the Surgeon General(SG)). The Quartermaster General (QMG) was responsible for supply and transport and the Master General of the Ordnance (MGO) for the procurement of military equipment.

Context

Explanation of Terms

Contents