Description
Book SynopsisThis book offers a remarkable insight into the humanitarian exchanges and communications between warring governments during the Second World War.Remarkably, throughout the Second World War, even when the violence was its height, the Allied and Axis governments remained in contact through third parties in order to achieve humanitarian ends such as the exchange of wounded prisoners-of-war, of 'protected' persons, such as medical personnel and priests, and of civilian internees. This involved detailed negotiations, careful planning and coordination, and the movement of protected ships and trains through war zones. Even after Pearl Harbour and the defeat of Singapore there were exchanges between both America and the UK with Japan.This book fills an important gap in Second World War and humanitarian literature, describing how the warring governments not only communicated with each other but also exchanged large numbers of people and goods, thus showing that, despite the bloodshed and killing, a spark of humanity still existed.
Trade Review"Miller uncovers a little-known phenomenon" - Sue Baker, Publishing News, May 2008
Mention -Book News, November 2008
"Mercy Ships [brings] together many little-known and intriguing stories." -Jan Drent, International Journal of Maritime History, Vol. 21, 2009
Table of ContentsPart 1 - The Setting; 1: The Historical Setting; 2: Prisoners of War in WWII; Part 2 - The War in the West; 3: The German Onslaught and its Aftermath; 4: The Prisoner Exchange System Established; 5: The Zamzam Affair; 6: The Palestine Exchanges; 7: The Channel Islanders; 8: The Red Cross; Part 3 - The War in the East; 9: Japanese Attacks; 10: The First US Exchange, East Africa; 11: The Second US Exchange, India; 12: US Aid to Prisoners in Japanese Custody; 13: The British Exchange with Japan; 14: The Time it Went Wrong; 15: Conclusion.
