The Geneva Convention (1929) was signed at Geneva,
July 27,
1929. Its
official name is the
Convention relative to the Treatment
of Prisoners of War, Geneva July 27, 1929. It entered into
force
19 June, 1931. It is this version of
the
Geneva Conventions which
covered the treatment of prisoners of war during
World War II. It is the predecessor of the
Third Geneva Convention
signed in
1949.
On their web site the
International
Committee of the Red Cross state that:
General provisions
Article 1: makes explicit reference to Articles 1 2 and 3 of
Hague Conventions respecting the laws and customs of war on
land(Hague
IV), of October 18, 1907, to define who are
lawful combatants and so qualify as
Prisoners of War (POW) on capture. In addition to combatants
covered by Hague IV, some civilians are also covered in the section
of this Convention called the "
Application
of the Convention to certain classes of civilians".
Articles 2, 3 and 4: Specifies that POW are prisoners of the Power
which holds them and not prisoners of the unit which takes their
surrender; that POWs have the right to honor and respect, and that
women shall be treated with all the regard due to their sex, and
that prisoners of a similar category must be treated in the same
way.
Capture
Articles 6 and 7 cover what may and may not be done to a prisoner
on capture. If requested, unless too ill to comply, prisoners are
bound to give their true name and rank, but they may not be coerced
into giving any more information. Prisoners personal possessions,
other than arms and horses, may not be taken from them.
The wording of the 1949
Third
Geneva Convention was intentionally altered from that of the
1929 convention so that soldiers who "fall into the power"
following surrender or mass capitulation of an enemy are now
protected as well as those taken prisoner in the course of
fighting. (see
Disarmed Enemy
Forces)
Captivity
Evacuation of prisoners of war
Articles 8 and 9 state that prisoners should be evacuated from the
combat zone within the shortest possible period, and that
Belligerents are bound mutually to notify each other of their
capture of prisoners within the shortest period possible.
Prisoner of war camps
Articles 9 and 10 covers the type of camp in which POWs can be
detained. They must be constructed in such a way so that the
conditions are similar to those used by the Belligerent's own
soldiers in base camps. The camps must be located in healthy
locations and away from the combat zone. Also "
Belligerents
shall, so far as possible, avoid assembling in a single camp
prisoners of different races or nationalities".
Articles 11, 12, 13 state that: Food must be of a similar quality
and quantity to that of the Belligerent's own soldiers, and POWs
can not be denied food as a punishment; A canteen selling local
produce and products should be provided. Adequate clothing should
be provided; and that sanitary service in camps should be more than
sufficient to prevent epidemics.
Articles 14 and 15 cover the provision of medical facilities in
each camp.
Articles 16 and 17 cover the provision of religious needs,
intellectual diversions and sport facilities.
Articles 18 and 19 cover the internal discipline of a camp which is
under the command of a responsible officer.
Articles 20, 21, 22, and 23 state that Officers and persons of
equivalent status who are prisoners of war shall be treated with
the regard due their rank and age and provide more details on what
that treatment should be.
Article 24 covers the rate of pay of prisoners of war.
Articles 25 and 26 covers the responsibilities of the detaining
authority when transferring prisoners from one location to another.
Prisoners must be healthy enough to travel, they must be informed
too where they are being transferred and their personal
possessions, including bank accounts should remain
accessible.
Labour of prisoners of war
Articles 27 to 34 covers labour by prisoners of war. Work must fit
the rank and health of the prisoners. The work must not be war
related and must be safe work. Remuneration will be agreed between
the Belligerents and will belong to the prisoner who carries out
the work.
External relations of prisoners of war
Articles 35 to 41 covers how and when prisoners of war may
correspond with others. Prisoners should be allowed to correspond
with their family within a week of capture. They should be allowed
to receive letters, and parcels which contain books, which may be
censored, food and clothing.
Prisoners relations with the authorities
Articles 42 to 67 covers the prisoners relations with the
authorities. Most of these provisions are covered by the provision
that prisoners are under the detaining powers own code of military
regulations, with some additional provisions which cover specific
prisoner of war issues and some other provisions to protect
prisoners of war if the military regulations of the detaining power
do not meet a minimum standard. Two specific regulations which
differentiate prisoners of war from the detainees own military
regulations, is that no prisoner of war may be deprived of his rank
by the detaining Power, and escaped prisoners of war who are
retaken before being able to rejoin their own army or to leave the
territory occupied by the army which captured them shall be liable
only to disciplinary punishment.
Termination of captivity
Articles 68 to 74 state that seriously sick and seriously injured
prisoners of war must be repatriated as soon as their condition
allows and no repatriated person may be utilized in active military
service.
Article 75 covers release at the end of hostilities. The release of
prisoners should form part of the armistice. If this is not
possible then repatriation of prisoners shall be effected with the
least possible delay after the conclusion of peace. This particular
provision was to cause problems after
World
War II because as the surrender of the Axis powers was
unconditional there was no armistice and in the case of Germany a
full peace treaty was not signed until the signing of the
Treaty on
the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany in 1990.
Article 76 cover prisoners of war dying in captivity they should be
honorably buried and their graves marked and maintained properly.
Wills and death certificate provisions should be the same as those
for the detaining powers own soldiers.
Bureau if relief and information concerning prisoners of
war
Articles 77 to 80 covers how and how frequently the Powers should
exchange information about prisoners and the details of how relief
societies for prisoners of war should be involved in their
relief.
Application of the Convention to certain classes of
civilians
Article 81 covers Individuals who follow armed forces without
directly belonging thereto who fall into the enemy's hands and whom
the latter think expedient to detain, shall be entitled to be
treated as prisoners of war. This provision covered military
support contractors and civilian war correspondents etc.
Execution of the convention
Articles 82 to 97 covers the implementation of this convention.
Articles 82 and 83 contained two important clauses. "
In case,
in time of war, one of the belligerents is not a party to the
Convention, its provisions shall nevertheless remain in force as
between the belligerents who are parties thereto." and that
the provisions of this convention continue to cover prisoners of
war after hostilities up to their repatriation unless the
belligerents agree otherwise or a more favorable regime replaces
it.
Annex to the Convention of May 27 1929 relative to the
treatment of prisoners of war
The annex added detail to the provisions covering repatriation and
hospitalization.
Further reading
Footnotes
.
Japan did sign the Convention, but did not ratify it. They were a
"state signatory." The list of 9 countries who were state
signatories.
, 27 July 1929.
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