HL Deb 03 August 1961 vol 234 cc316-7WA
VISCOUNT ELIBANK

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they can give a table showing the official, or approximate, casualties suffered by each of the Allied and Associated Nations in the Second World War.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (LORD CARRINGTON)

Figures of the casualties suffered by the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the Dominions, the Colonies and India were given in the House of Commons by the then Prime Minister on 29th November, 1945 [OFFICIAL REPORT, Commons, column 1735–1736.] Revised figures relating to the forces of the United Kingdom were subsequently shown in Table 14 of theStatistical Digest of the War, in the History of the Second World War series. I am circulating these figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

I regret that no authoritative information is available in British records from which the casualties suffered by other countries could be compiled.

WAR CASUALTIES
CASUALTIES SUFFERED DURING THE WAR BY UNITED KINGDOM ARMFD FORCES, AUXILIARY SERVICES AND MERCHANT NAVY (1)
Total War against Germany War against Japan
Total Killed Missing 2 Wounded Prisoners of war Killed Missing Wounded Prisoners of war Killed Missing Wounded Prisoners of war
Armed Forces (3)—Total 755,439 264,443 41,327 277,077 172,592 234,475 35,075 260,548 135,009 29,968 6,252 16,529 37,583
Royal Navy 73,642 50,758 820 14,663 7,401 46,911 416 14,360 5,518 3,847 404 303 1,883
Army 569,501 144,079 33,771 239,575 152,076 121,484 29,255 224,427 119,764 22,595 4,516 15,148 32,312
Royal Air Force 112,296 69,606 6,736 22,839 13,115 66,080 5,404 21,761 9,727 3,526 1,332 1,078 3,388
Women's Auxiliary Services— Total 1,486 624 98 744 20 — — — — — — — —
Women's Royal Naval Service 124 102 — 22 — — — — — — — — —
Auxiliary Territorial Service (4) 751 335 94 302 20 — — — — — — — —
Women's Auxiliary Air Force 611 187 4 420 — — — — — — — — —
Merchant Navy 45,329 30,248 4,654 4,707 5,720 28,748 30 4,467 4,675 1,500 4,624 240 1,045
SOURCE: Service Departments
(1) From 3rd September, 1939 to 14th August, 1945 as reported to 28th February, 1946.
(2) Including 6,244 still missing at 28th February, 1946 and 39,835 who rejoined their units.
(3) Including men from overseas serving in the United Kingdom Forces, in particular from Newfoundland and Southern Rhodesia.
(4) Including Army Nursing Services.