War and welfare

British prisoner of war families, 1939–45

During the Second World War, some 250,000 British servicemen were taken captive by either the Axis powers or the Japanese. As a result of this, their wives and families became completely dependent on the military and civil authorities.

This book examines the experiences of the millions of service dependents created by total war. The book then focuses on the most disadvantaged elements of this group - the wives, children and dependents of men taken prisoner- and the changes brought about by the exigencies of total war. Further chapters reflect on how these families organised to lobby government and the strategies they adopted to circumvent apparent bureaucratic ineptitude and misinformation.

This book is essential reading for both academic and general readers interested in the British Home Front during the Second World War.