Civil Resettlement of Ex-Prisoners of War *Summary of an Address given to the Association of Mental Health Workers at Bristol on April 14th, 1946

_ Before I begin to describe the aims of the work of civil resettlement as it affects repatriated prisoners of ^ar in the Army, I should explain my own position. | am a serving soldier and I have little or no knowledge of psychology or psychiatry, other than the experience I have had since I have been put in charge of this work. I will, however, try to give an accurate description of the organization and administration of Civil Resettlement, showing at the same time the difficulties which we are trying t? smooth out for the repatriates. In August 1944, the then Secretary of State for War, Sir James Grigg, decided that the War Office should undertake the task of correcting, so far as possible, those special psychological disabilities ^hich inevitably arise from prolonged capitivity Jn enemy hands ". It was to meet this demand that Civil Resettlement Units were formed to look after the repatriate during his transition from military to civil life. Records of the experience gained in dealing with FePatriates in the last war were very meagre, but 11 had been recognized that in the months after rePatriation men suffered from difficulties of concentration and loss of memory, from restlessness, j[ntability or apathy and depression. Towards he end of 1943 sufficient numbers of officers had escaped from Europe to warrant an attempt to be ^ade to make a practical technique for their r?nabilitati?n for continued military service. These facers were all posted to one unit (W.O.S.B.) vhere their difficulties were studied. In February 44, some 900 protected personnel were repatriated j^d that afforded another opportunity of studying ^eir difficulties and trying to solve them over a Period of four weeks. This is described as the r?okham Experiment. Then in November 1944, n experimental unit was formed at Derby. It was r8anized to receive some 60 trainees. There ere in fact two courses held, one of three weeks nd one of four weeks, and the repatriates who nderwent these courSes were not in these cases k?lunteers. Finally in May 1945, No. 1 Civil Resettlement Unit with the Planning Headbarters, was set up at Hatfield House. From nucleus was built up an organization hich covered Great Britain and Northern Ireland nd involved some 20 units which were spread from