Barry Davies - The Complete SAS Survival Manual

In modern warfare, even when the conflict takes place on a large scale, the number of captured soldiers is quite small compared with corresponding figures for the Second World War. As a result the treatment of prisoners of war has changed. In some cases these smaller numbers of men are nowadays treated to a more rapid and harsh treatment, while the typically greater ratio of guards to prisoners has tended to make escape ever more difficult.

However, the one fundamental thing on which any prisoner of war from the Western world can rely is that he will not be forgotten. The treatment of POWs is regarded as among the highest of priorities by any civilized government. And all steps are taken to establish contact, ensure the prisoners well-being and finally administer his release and safe return home.

To be captured is not a dishonour - it is simply one of those unavoidable acts of war. Where men are sent into battle on land, or are engaged in aircraft sorties, operating deep behind enemy lines, the risk is always present. Although capture is sometimes inevitable, if there is even a faint chance of avoiding this fate, then that opportunity must be seized.

Being captured by the enemy is one of the most frightening experiences a soldier faces. The best insurance against this is to grab even the slimmest chance of avoiding capture.

The prisoner of war cannot expect to be treated in any set way by his captors, despite all the words and laws governing the treatment of POWs. Various factors will determine the prisoners fate. For example, if a large number of prisoners have been taken, then the organizational demands of the situation may result in a lessening of ill treatment of the individual. But if an individual, say a pilot, is captured, then his captors may seek revenge, or at least use him as a symbol of this, by subjecting him to a beating. The prisoners treatment will also depend on the professionalism of his captors. Professional troops normally act in a restrained and responsible way, whereas local militia are likely to be more crude in their approach.

The prisoner of war must be prepared to encounter some hostility from his captors, and the intensity of their reaction to him will be directly related to one or more of the following factors:

• Which side is winning the conflict
• The number of alleged atrocities carried out by forces fighting on his side
• A bombing mission by his forces that has or may have inadvertently killed innocent civilians.

This last act will be seen as a war crime and attributed to the individual prisoner. From the perspective of his captors, he is the enemy personified, and therefore responsible for all the actions that have been carried out by his own comrades.

AN EARLY ESCAPE

It is every soldiers duty to attempt to escape at the first opportunity. The closer the prisoner of war is to his own lines, the greater his chances of success. At such times he will know where his own troops are located, he will still be fit (unless he has been wounded), and he may well still have some of his equipment. However, a POW who has been captured close to the forward edge of the battle area must remember that the danger of being shot while trying to escape will be very high. Heavy concentrations of armed men in an acute state of tension will make escaping dangerous, and unless there is a good chance of success, it is unwise to risk provoking front-line combat troops.

Always watch out for the opportunity to escape during transit deep behind enemy lines. Escape is possible by all modes of travel: on foot, in a road vehicle, boat or train or by air. Stay alert, take advantage of diversions such as air strikes by friendly forces, or when the guards are sleeping. Even if the possibility of escape is not immediately obvious, the POW should collect any useful items and information that may aid his escape at a latter date.

Evading capture when behind enemy lines demands an alert state of mind and a readiness to take advantage of diversions such as air strikes by friendly forces.

You will find in this book a wealth of detailed information on practical escape, evasion and survival techniques, and with the help of these you can come through most survival situations. In recent years, great advances have been achieved in the design and manufacture of military clothing, equipment and navigational aids. In addition, search and rescue techniques, and the accuracy and reliability of individual satellite communications, have improved dramatically.

The sophisticated technology of survival has an undeniably important role to play, but, above all, your chances of emerging alive will depend on your own capabilities as an individual. If you are captured, or if you are forced to survive on your own for any length of time, without the promise of imminent rescue, a number of potent psychological factors will come into play. It is important to understand just how powerful these psychological pressures can be.