Office of the Historian

Lot 55D128: Black Book, Tab 107: Telegram

The Commander in Chief, Far East (Ridgway) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

secret   priority
Tokyo, 18 December 1951—9:02 p. m.

C–59648. HNC 589.

[Page 1374]

“Report of sub-Delegation Agenda Item 4. Convened 1100. Lee opened with a short statement proposing to exchange POW data at 1500 today. Recessed 1120. Reconvened at 1500. POW data exchanged. UNC proposed a recess until both sides had studied data. UNC will give notification through Liaison Officer as to when it will be ready to resume. UNC said it hoped to be ready by 1000 day after tomorrow. Recessed 1520 to reconvene when both sides have completed study of data. Signed Joy.”1

  1. The lists presented by the Communist side showed a total of 11,559 prisoners composed of 7,142 ROK soldiers and 4,417 U.N. personnel. During the early months of the fighting, in contrast, the Communists had claimed the capture of over 65,000 prisoners. At the time of exchange of information on prisoners of war, the Republic of Korea carried over 88,000 and the United States over 11,500 as missing in action. The Communist side listed 188,000 men missing, while the U.N. Command stated that it held 132,000 prisoners of war and another 37,000 recently reclassified as civilian internees. (Hermes, Truce Tent and Fighting Front, p. 141)↩