With the 70th anniversary of the start of World War Two (September 1, 2009) approaching, Ancestry.ca
has launched online British Army Prisoners of War, 1939-1945, which contains the records for more than 100,000 prisoners of war (POW) captured during the conflict, including the names of many ancestors of living Canadians. Nearly one-third of Canada’s population claims British heritage, which means that many Canadians with ancestors who fought for or alongside the British Army may be able to find ancestors in this collection.
As one of the few World War Two archives not subject to the UK’s ‘75-year rule’, this collection is a vital resource for anyone looking to trace British and Commonwealth soldiers captured by German Forces during the war. The majority of World War Two records are not yet available to the general public as individual records are still protected by the rule.
In addition to the POW records, Ancestry.ca has also published online the UK Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945, featuring the records of all British Army personnel killed in action during World War Two.
Labels: Canada, military records, United Kingdom, WW II