M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, Chapter 2, Section G – Former Prisoner of War (FPOW) Service Records

In This Section

Introduction

• importance of verifying FPOW status
• FPOW information available at NARA, and
• obtaining
  • FPOW information from NARA, and
  • evidence from the claimant.

Change Date

III.iii.2.G.1.a.  Importance of Verifying FPOW Status

• for purposes of determining eligibility to benefits under 38 CFR 3.309(c), and
• instances where certification of FPOW status is relevant to benefit eligibility.

Reference:  For more information on developing for FPOW status, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart v, 1.C.2.

III.iii.2.G.1.b.  FPOW Information Available at NARA

• a significant amount of information on FPOWs from World War II (WWII)
• limited information on FPOWs from the Korean Conflict
• no records on FPOWs from the Vietnam era, and
• on rare occasions, service treatment records (STRs).

III.iii.2.G.1.c.  Obtaining FPOW Information From NARA

• the Veteran’s
  • name
  • service number
  • branch of service, and
  • dates of internment, and
• the name of the country or group that held the Veteran prisoner, such as the Germans or Japanese.

III.iii.2.G.1.d.  Obtaining Evidence From the Claimant

Introduction

• Record Group 92, Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR)
• Record Group 153, Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG), Army
• Record Group 242, the NARA Collection of Foreign Records Seized in 1941
• Record Group 332, Records of the U.S. Theaters of War, WWII, and
• Record Group 407, Strength and Accounting Branch.

Change Date

III.iii.2.G.2.a.  Record Group 92, MACR

• air crashes, and
• subsequent captures.

III.iii.2.G.2.b.  Record Group 153, Records of the Office of the JAG, Army

III.iii.2.G.2.c.  Record Group 242, the NARA Collection of Foreign Records Seized in 1941

• name
• rank
• service number
• date shot down
• physical condition when captured, and
• hospital or camp to which the flyers were taken.

Notes:

• Sometimes there is a list of the crew members who were with the flyers at the time of capture.
• Both the original German records and the English translations of the lists are in NARA’s possession.

III.iii.2.G.2.d.  Record Group 332, Records of the U.S. Theaters of War, WWII

III.iii.2.G.2.e.  Record Group 407, Strength and Accounting Branch

• names
• service numbers, and
• dates of internment.

Introduction

• Record Group 389, Records of the Office of the Provost Marshal General (PMGO)
  • master indexes
  • lists from the American POW Information Bureau, and
• Record Group 407, the Philippines Archives Collection.

Change Date

III.iii.2.G.3.a.  Record Group 389, Records of the PMGO:  Master Indexes

• 26 volumes of records on German POWs
• 6 volumes of records on Japanese POWs, and
• 1 volume of records on POWs interned in other countries.

The FPOWs are listed by

• name
• service number, and
• branch of service.

III.iii.2.G.3.b.  Record Group 389, Records of the PMGO:  Lists From the American POW Information Bureau

Countries included in the lists are

• Germany
• Japan, and
• the Philippines.

The listings are arranged

• first by country of internment, then
• by location of camp, and finally
• alphabetically by name.

III.iii.2.G.3.c.  Record Group 407, the Philippines Archives Collection

• Bilibid
• Cabanatuan, and
• O’Donnell.

Introduction

• where to obtain POW records from the Korean Conflict
• Record Group 319, Records of the Army Staff, and
• records relating to the FPOW status of Veterans of the Korean Conflict.

Change Date

III.iii.2.G.4.a.  Where to Obtain POW Records From the Korean Conflict

III.iii.2.G.4.b.  Record Group 319, Records of the Army Staff

• Volume 1
  • lists locations of POW camps identified by number and location, and
  • includes 140 pages of American FPOWs listed by name, service number, rank, unit and camp number, and
• Volume 2 includes supplemental lists of both military and civilian prisoners of various nationalities.

III.iii.2.G.4.c.  Records Relating to the FPOW Status of Veterans of the Korean Conflict

• handles requests for records relating to the FPOW status of Veterans of the Korean Conflict, and
• has custody of the casualty lists that indicate FPOW status.

Important:  NARA will not release this information to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  To obtain this information, the claimant must request it directly from NARA.