Soviet POWs in British Camps: A Little-Known Chapter of WWII

Among the lesser-known stories of the war is the fate of Soviet citizens who ended up in British prisoner-of-war camps — captured while wearing German uniforms.

Hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers, captured by the Germans, were given a stark choice: serve in the German military or face starvation. Under the Yalta Agreement, they were to be repatriated to the Soviet Union, where many faced imprisonment or execution.

Several camps in Britain held these prisoners. This article examines the documentary evidence held in British archives about their conditions and fates.