Item number: A311

Year: AD 1914-1918

Material: Zinc

Size: 23.8 x 23.8 x 1.0 mm

Weight: 3.4 g

Provenance: Private Colllector, UK, 2020

This is a zinc token issued during World War I by the British Expeditionary Force stationed in Northern France and Belgian Flanders. It was used in German prisoner-of-war camps under their control, allowing prisoners to purchase small amounts of food or daily necessities at the canteen or welfare office.

The obverse of the token features a four-leaf clover surrounded by diagonal lines, with the denomination “10 C.T.S” (10 cents) indicated in Arabic numerals and English abbreviation within the clover. The reverse side is smooth, with the text “P. OF W.” (Prisoner of War), “TOKEN,” and “B.E.F.” (British Expeditionary Force) inscribed in three lines from top to bottom. The word “TOKEN” is flanked by symmetrical lines and decorated with fleurs-de-lis, symbols representing France.

In AD 1914, following the outbreak of World War I, Britain organised the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), composed of six divisions, to support their ally, France. The BEF was responsible for the region of Northern France and the remaining Flanders area in Belgium. To address the humanitarian issues concerning prisoners of war (POWs) arising from the conflict, the British government established the “Prisoner of War Information Bureau” on August 17, AD 1914, in accordance with the Hague Convention. By October AD 1916, as the war expanded and prolonged, the Information Bureau was elevated to the “Prisoner of War Department” to better coordinate related matters.

According to statistics, during the war, Britain captured a total of 207,357 prisoners globally, most of whom were German soldiers from the Western Front. Nearly half of these prisoners were housed in POW camps within the United Kingdom, while the other half were held in camps managed by the British Expeditionary Force in France. The POWs in France were also used as forced labour to support the AD 1916 Battle of the Somme. After the war ended in AD 1918, these prisoners were gradually repatriated, with the process completed by AD 1919.

物件編號: A311

年代: 公元 1914-1918 年

材料: 鋅

尺寸: 23.8 x 23.8 x 1.0 mm

重量: 3.4 g

來源: 英國私人收藏 2020

這是一枚第一次世界大戰期間，駐防於北法和比利時法蘭德斯的英國遠征軍，替防區管轄的德軍戰俘營發行之鋅質代幣，供戰俘能在食堂或福利部購買小額的食品或日用品。

代幣正面是周圍以斜線裝飾的四葉草，內部以阿拉伯數字和英文簡寫標示面額「10分」(10 C.T.S)。背面的表面平整，由上而下以英文標示「戰俘」(P. OF W.)、「代幣」(TOKEN)和「英國遠征軍」(B.E.F.)三行字樣。「代幣」上下兩側以對稱的線條和象徵法國的百合花徽作為裝飾。

公元1914年，第一次世界大戰爆發後，英國為支援盟友法國，組織六個師編制的「英國遠征軍」赴法支援，負責的戰區為北法和比利時僅存的法蘭德斯地區。同時為應付戰爭帶來的戰俘人道問題，公元1914年8月17日，英國政府按照《海牙公約》規定率先成立「戰俘資訊局」。公元1916年10月，隨著戰事進一步擴大和拖延，資訊局升格為「戰俘部」統整相關事宜。

根據統計，英國在戰爭期間於全球總計俘虜207,357人，多數為西線的德軍戰俘。這些戰俘近一半被安置在英國境內的戰俘營。另一半則在英國遠征軍於法國的戰俘營，滯法戰俘還成為支援公元1916年索姆河戰役的強制勞工。戰爭於公元1918年結束後，各國戰俘便陸續遭到遣返，於公元1919年完成相關作業。