Henry Faulk OBE (22 December 1907 – 4 October 2001) was an Executive Field Officer responsible for a program that aimed to "re-educate" 400,000 German Prisoners of War held in England at the end of World War II.

Henry Faulk
Born22 December 1907
Died4 October 2001 (2001-10-05) (aged 93)
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow (Modern Languages)

Life and career

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Henry Faulk was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in Dunshalt (also spelt Dunshelt[1]), Fife. He went to school in Dundee, then studied Modern Languages at the University of Glasgow.[2]

Faulk joined the British Army at the outbreak of World War II, initially working as an interpreter with the Intelligence Corps.[3] Towards the end of the war at the age of 37, Faulk was seconded to the Political Intelligence Department (later renamed the Prisoner of War Division; POWD) of the Foreign Office, and became an Executive Field Officer responsible for a program that aimed to "re-educate" 400,000 German Prisoners of War held in England.[4][5][6]

Faulk wrote about his experiences in his 1977 book, Group Captives. A review described the book as follows:[7]

Faulk discusses in a concise, objective and, at times, somewhat dry manner both German and British attitudes affecting re-education, the changing environment and the aims and methods of POWD. He offers a generally favorable evaluation of the results.

Some aspects of Faulk's account have been challenged. For example, Faulk "categorically denied" the use of German informants in Prisoner of War camps; however, a 2024 analysis argued that "it is clear from other archival documents and memoirs that they were used by British officials for political gradings and to acquire intelligence in the camps".[8]

On leaving the army in 1948, Faulk worked as a teacher in Glasgow, first at Glasgow High School, then Woodside Secondary and Cranhill Secondary.[9] Faulk had three children with his first wife Lena (Malcolm, Edith, and David), and one son (Andrew) with his second wife Jessie.[10]

Published works

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  • Henry Faulk (1970). Die deutschen Kriegsgefangenen in Großbritannien: Re-education. Bielefeld: Gieseking.
  • Henry Faulk (1977). Group Captives: The Re-education of German Prisoners of War in Britain 1945-1948. London: Chatto & Windus.

Recognition

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Faulk was awarded an OBE in 1947.[11]

References

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  1. ^ See Dunshalt village website.
  2. ^ Faulk, Henry (Oral history) reel 1, Imperial War Museum.
  3. ^ Faulk, Henry (Oral history) reel 1, Imperial War Museum.
  4. ^ "Henry Faulk Former teacher whose wartime experiences formed the basis for a book". The Herald. 9 October 2001. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  5. ^ Carden, Robert W. (1978). "Group Captives (Book Review)". American Historical Review. 83 (1): 171–172. doi:10.2307/1865960. JSTOR 1865960.
  6. ^ Mayne, Richard (2003). In Victory, Magnanimity, in Peace, Goodwill: A History of Wilton Park. London: Frank Cass Publishers Ltd. pp. 6–7.
  7. ^ Carden, Robert W. (1978). "Group Captives (Book Review)". American Historical Review. 83 (1): 171–172. doi:10.2307/1865960. JSTOR 1865960.
  8. ^ Erkiletian, Samuel A. (2024). Forming Conflict Identities: The Role of Subgroup Leaders in Combatant Socialization (PhD thesis). University College London. p. 186.
  9. ^ "Henry Faulk Former teacher whose wartime experiences formed the basis for a book". The Herald. 9 October 2001. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Henry Faulk Former teacher whose wartime experiences formed the basis for a book". The Herald. 9 October 2001. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette" (PDF). The Gazette. 12 June 1947. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
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