Working for the Enemy: Identity and Resistance in the Work Experiences of New Zealand POWs During World War II

Abstract

This paper argues that New Zealand POWs used their post-captivity accounts to distance themselves from the perceived shame of being forced to work for the enemy. Their willingness to describe acts of sabotage showed a desire to minimize their impotency and reconnect their experience with the wider war effort. Moreover, beyond these acts of resistance, the paper argues that some prisoners recast themselves as more than saboteurs. This argument is articulated through the experiences of Private Arthur Coe and Private Jack Gallichan. Their accounts highlight how some prisoners found ways to retell their POW experience with pride, but without having to resort to romanticized tales of escape and sabotage. Coe's work in camp hospitals and Gallichan's role as a guardian to his fellow workers represent a subtler expression of identity and resistance to captivity. These examples reinforce a multifaceted approach to identity construction in captivity.