Copy of Red Cross food parcel

Copy of a Red Cross food parcel sent to prisoners of war, Second World War, 1939-1945

During the First and Second World Wars, the British Red Cross and Order of St John came together to create the Joint War Organisation. This was to pool resources and funds to get help to those who needed it most.

The Prisoners of War, Wounded and Missing Department helped send supplies and relief parcels to British soldiers who were held as prisoners of war. The department aimed to send one food parcel to each British Prisoner of War per week but due to difficulties in supplies and transport, this proved impossible. During the Second World War, approximately 20 million parcels were sent.

Funding for the parcels came from individual donations and governments.