Brainwashing in Britain: Korean War prisoners of war

Abstract

This chapter starts by examining the experiences and treatment of British POWs in Korea before exploring how they were regarded by British society upon their return. This chapter traces the broader cultural implications of Korean War captivity in Britain, emphasising the lived experience of imprisonment for British POWs, before examining how the term brainwashing emerged from rumours and half-truths about Korean War captivity. It explores both the popular and official responses to allegations of brainwashing and its broader cultural significance within post-1945 Britain.