The war is finally over...

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

According to uboat.net, Kretschmer was held for over 6 1/2 years after his capture, which would put his release date in late 1947; that's the latest release date I'm aware of among those captured by non-Soviet Allied forces. Doesn't mean some weren't held longer though.

German POW’s continued to be held by the Allies for a number of years after the war had ended. The last POW’s held in Egypt returned to Germany in December 1948.

[KL-alfman]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

German POW’s continued to be held by the Allies for a number of years after the war had ended. The last POW’s held in Egypt returned to Germany in December 1948.

do you happen to know any reasons why regular soldiers were kept for such a long time?
(and I don't relate to war-criminals)

Originally Posted by KL-alfman

do you happen to know any reasons why regular soldiers were kept for such a long time?
(and I don't relate to war-criminals)

That's a question thats been on my mind for many years.

[Chisum]

Only one answer: winner has all rights...
It is a secular law of war, unfortunately.
It still that to be prisoner of the US was better.
Some German prisoners in the Soviet Union have been released more than 10 years after the end of the war(when they were not dead because they worked very hard...) because for the soviets, every german soldier was a war criminal guilty of crimes against Soviet Union, even a simple cook...

[KL-alfman]

thx Snestorm, Chisum and Jimbuna!

I was wondering if there had been legal reasons or not?! don't know anything about the regulations of the Hague Treaty ....

it's just that I imagine it was terrible not to be allowed to get home and see your family after the atrocities of war. sad case.

[Chisum]

Soviet Union was not a democracy and the "Convention de Genève" was just a little paper for them...
Eye for eye, jungle law.

[KL-alfman]

thx for pointing me to the mistake I made.
guess the Hague Treaty was only how to act and re-act in armed conflicts.
the Geneva Convention regulated the treatment of POWs, I guess.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by KL-alfman

do you happen to know any reasons why regular soldiers were kept for such a long time?
(and I don't relate to war-criminals)

I've absolutely no idea but I'd hazard a guess it was because of the attitude of some of the allied governments and the administration involved in keeping so many was not as good in some countries as that of others.

Just a guess mind.