Employing the Enemy: Prisoner of War Labour

During the war, belligerent governments across the world suffered a domestic labour crisis Britain, Australia, and the Empire were no different. As men and women signed up to join the armed forces, governments had to replace the lost labour. However, once belligerents began to capture enemy troops, they potentially had access to a new source of manpower. How that resource was used changed over time as different states adopted differing approaches and interpretations of the Geneva Convention’s articles concerning POW labour.