During the Second World War New Zealanders in large numbers became prisoners of war, or went 'into the bag' as they popularly called it. One in 200 of New Zealand's population of the time were held in captivity—over 8000 people. This compares with around 500 POWs in the First World War.
Capture - Prisoners of War
Incident at Featherston - social studies activities Levels 4 and 5
The Featherston incident, 25 February 1943
Two kilometres north of the quiet little Wairarapa town of Featherston, a small memorial garden marks the site of a riot that resulted in the deaths of 48 Japanese prisoners of war and one guard. A further 63 prisoners were wounded.
A plaque commemorates the site with a 17th-century haiku:
Behold the summer grass
All that remains of the
Dreams of warriors.
Incarceration - Prisoners of War
Incarceration
Daily life - Prisoners of War
Camp environment
POW camps tended to be rather bleak places. They could not, for security reasons, have trees and other greenery growing in them although many prisoners did receive seed from the YMCA in Geneva and plant their own vegetable and flower gardens.
Morning parade
The length and number of parades—or roll calls—depended on the country in which the POW camp was situated and on the person who ran the camp. It also depended on whether or not there had been any escapes from the camp; if numbers did not add up then the men could be kept on parade for a very long time.
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