Today I’m sharing a press release from Findmypast which might be useful. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, Findmypast has released thousands of fascinating new Napoleonic Prisoner of War records in partnership with The National Archives.
Prisoners of War 1715-1945 Phase 2 – Napoleonic Wars
Comprising over 71,000 entries, the new Napoleonic Prisoner of War records have been released in partnership with The National Archives. The release marks the second phase of a landmark project to make 250 years of British Foreign Office, Colonial Office, Admiralty and Air Force papers relating to the internment of allied and foreign Prisoners of War available to search online. These records form part of the wider Prisoners of War 1715-1945 collection and contain not only the details of members of the armed forces, but also of captured civilians and merchant seamen of various nationalities.
The new Napoleonic additions record the details of Danish, French, Prussian and American prisoners captured by British Forces during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. They list the prisoner’s name, nationality, rank, service number and the conflict in which they were captured. They can also reveal exactly when and where they were captured, where they were held, and many include full physical descriptions detailing hair colour, eye colour, build, complexion and any distinguishable marks. Records were also kept of the provisions and the supplies received by POWs such as blankets, clothing, and beds etc. providing incredible insights into the experiences of a Napoleonic prisoner of war.
Each record includes a transcript and an image of the original handwritten document. The amount of information in each record can vary depending on the type of document and the amount of detail recorded at the time of the event.
