By Tony Storey
This article was published in the August 2025 edition of Soul Search, the Journal of The Sole Society
At the end of the Second World War, the Allies, Great Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union, formed the International Military Tribunal (IMT). Between November 1945 and October 1946, the Nuremberg Trials were held to try former Nazi leaders and others accused of committing or conspiring to commit war crimes, crimes against peace, or crimes against humanity. The British Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 9, was a secret department of the War Office between 1939 and 1945. Perhaps as part of the preparations for Nuremberg, M.I.9 had devised a questionnaire and required all former Prisoners of War to document their experiences in captivity. These documents are currently held in the National Archives at Kew and available to view online by subscription to Ancestry.
The first page of the form required the former POW to put his full name and rank and his ship, unit or squadron. He was then asked to enter his date of birth, the date he enlisted, his civilian occupation and his current address. He then had to state the place and date of capture and if he was wounded.
The next question was about the camp or hospital where he was confined. If it was a working camp, what work was he required to do? In addition, did he suffer from any serious illness while a prisoner and did he receive adequate medical treatment?
Although each page of the form was headed TOP SECRET, the former prisoner was reminded at this point that the matters that followed in Part Two of the form were of a highly secret and official nature and it was forbidden to publish or communicate any information.
After completing the form the former POW would be required to sign a Security Undertaking.
Part Two began with ‘LECTURES before capture’.
Were you lectured in your unit on how to behave in the event of capture? State where, when and by whom. Were you lectured on escape and evasion? State where, when and by whom.
The next section was ‘INTERROGATION after capture’.
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy? State where, when and methods employed.
‘ESCAPES attempted’ was the next heading.
Did you make any attempted or partly successful escapes? Give details of each attempt separately, stating where, when, method employed, names of your companions, where and when recaptured and by whom. Were you physically fit? What happened to your companions?
The next section headed SABOTAGE asked the former prisoner if he carried out any sabotage or destruction of enemy factory plant, war material, communications, etc., when employed on working parties or during escape? Give details, places and dates.
At this point I thought of my late uncle, who I knew had been captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong in December 1941. I located his form and read his answer to this question.
“Whilst working at Takahama Warehouses (Mitsubishi Company) Kobe Branch I did whatever circumstances permitted. I sabotaged such war material as lathes etc by taking off such parts as were detachable and throwing them in the sea.”
His words were entirely in character with the man I knew. It is a chilling thought that had he been found out by his captors he would likely have been executed and I would never have met him.
The last two sections relate to COLLABORATION with the enemy and WAR CRIMES.
Do you know of any British or American personnel who collaborated with the enemy or in any way helped the enemy against other Allied Prisoners of War? Give details, names of person(s) concerned, camp(s), dates and nature of collaboration or help given to the enemy.
If you have any information or evidence of bad treatment by the enemy to yourself or to others, or knowledge of any enemy violation of Geneva Convention you should ask for a copy of “Form Q” on which to make your statement.
The final page of the form is a space for any other matters the POW may wish to mention and the SECURITY UNDERTAKING, which he must sign.
These documents were initially restricted under the Official Secrets Acts, but were released in 2023 and published by Ancestry in August that year. The collection was expanded in March 2025 and provide us with a fascinating picture of the lives that our relatives were forced to live in captivity during some of the darkest days in our history.
Below and overleaf are some of the details of service men with our surnames who answered the questionnaire.