The records identify World War II U.S. military officers and soldiers and U.S. and some Allied civilians who were prisoners of war (POWs) and internees. The punchcard records that are the source for this digital file came to NARA tabbed and separated by several prisoner categories: military or civilian and thereunder by detaining power; whether held in an enemy or in a neutral country; and status: repatriated, deceased (several categories), or an escapee. The record for each prisoner potentially provides serial number; personal name; grade and grade code; service code; arm of service and its code; date reported; race; state of residence; type of organization; parent unit number and type; whether captured in the Asiatic, European, Middle East, North African, North American (Aleutian Islands), Pacific, South Pacific, or Southwest Pacific theaters of war; latest report date; source of report; status; detaining power; and prisoner of war or civilian internee camp code. Records of prisoners of the Japanese who died also document whether the prisoner was on a Japanese ship that sank or if he or she died during transport from the Philippine Islands to Japan.