us-005578-irn617583
type: RecordSet
archival history: National Archives (Great Britain)
biographical history: After the Second World War, the investigation of war crimes in Europe was initially the responsibility of Judge Advocate General's Investigation Units or Branches attached to Allied HQs. Three war crimes groups were established to undertake detailed investigation in the field of alleged war crimes in North West Europe and were later merged into one unit known as the War Crimes Investigation Unit. In January 1947 the various units and headquarters branches responsible for investigation and processing war crimes trials were amalgamated into one unit, designated the War Crimes Group (North West Europe), British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Following this amalgamation unfinished cases were handed over to BAOR for completion. A War Crimes Liaison Office was also set up in Berlin and Baden-Baden.
conditions of use: Copyright Holder: National Archives (Great Britain)
has beginning date: 1945-01-01
has end date: 1948-12-31
has or had holder: us-005578
has or had identifier: 2
has or had identifier: 1
has or had some members with language: eng
has or had subject: 760
has or had subject: 0
has or had subject: 177
has or had subject: 42
has or had subject: 843
has or had subject: 685
has or had subject: 701
has record set type: Item
identifier: irn617583
record resource extent: 153,128 digital images, JPEG
record resource structure: Arrangement is thematic. Selected files from: WO 309: War Office: Judge Advocate General's Office, British Army of the Rhine War Crimes Group (North West Europe) and predecessors; WO 310: War Office: Judge Advocate General's Office, War Crimes Group (South East Europe) and predecessors ( include Case Files and other series); WO 311: Judge Advocate General's Office, Military Deputy's Department, and War Office, Directorates of Army Legal Services and Personal Services: War Crimes Files (MO/JAG/FS and other series.
results or resulted from: 1
scope and content: Selected files from the UK National Archives relating to the British investigation and prosecution of war crimes immediately after World War II (WO 309: War Office: Judge Advocate General's Office, British Army of the Rhine War Crimes Group (North West Europe) and predecessors: Registered Files (BAOR and other series) & WO 311: Judge Advocate General's Office, Military Deputy's Department, and War Office, Directorates of Army Legal Services and Personal Services: War Crimes Files (MO/JAG/FS and other series) and WO 310: War Office: Judge Advocate General's Office, War Crimes Group (South East Europe) and predecessors. WO 309 files include individual cases and general procedural policy on the investigation of alleged war crimes in NW Europe. WO 311 files include records relating to the investigations and prosecutions of war criminals in WWII. These records provide extensive evidence and information on crimes committed against Jews and other victims, including forced laborers in these camps, as well as in other camps and locations where the Holocaust took place. They contain important and specific insights on perpetrators, including camp personnel, victims, and collaborators; medical experiments; and the use of poison gas (Zyklon B). In addition, these files contain signed witness and perpetrator statements, interrogations and affidavits, arrest reports, charge sheets, lists of victims, lists of guards, depositions of survivors, photographs and reports of investigative teams, correspondence, and minutes of meetings. Other administrative documents relate to the detainment of war criminals, proceedings at Nuremberg, and efforts to locate perpetrators and witnesses. The British war crimes trials prosecuted crimes committed in the British zone of occupation. Generally, the British war crimes cases concerned substantive crimes and dealt mainly with lower ranking officials and more localized offenses. Most of these include cases against: staff of the Belsen concentration ca…
title: Selected files from the UK National Archives