Belgian soldiers, prisoners of war and military units (1940-1945)

1. The main archival fonds kept at CegeSoma and elsewhere :

The personal files of commissioned officers of the Belgian Armed Forces born after +/- 1890 are now conserved at the National Archives (www.arch.be/agr). The files of non-commissioned officers and soldiers born after 1890 are currently being transferred to the National Archives of Belgium 2 - Joseph Cuvelier repository. The files will be gradually made accessible as from February 2024.

The same type of files regarding commissioned and non-commissioned officers and soldiers born before 1890 are conserved at the documentation centre of the Royal Military Museum (Parc du Cinquantenaire, 3 in 1000 Brussels) The centre also preserves the archives of the Ministry of Defense dating prior to 1940. Contact:  cdoc.klm-mra@warheritage.be or +32 (2) 737.79.34 - 31.

More general archives about military units, personal files of officers born after 31/12/1899, files about prisoners of war and registration lists of Belgian servicemen held in Stalags and Oflags can be accessed at the General Intelligence and Security Service (ADIV/SGRS) – Classified Archives Section (Quartier Reine Elisabeth, bloc 15, 1 Rue d’Evere in 1140 Brussels). Contact: info.ca@mil.be.

Finally, various archival holdings about these topics, in particular about the invasion of Belgium (so-called 18 Days’ Campaign) and life in the prisoner camps, are conserved at NAB2, but managed by CegeSoma. The online search engine of the State Archives can help you identify records you would like to access prior to your visit to NAB2.

2. Where to find additional information?

• Histoire de l'armée belge de 1830 à nos jours, Bruxelles, Centre de Documentation Historique des Forces Armées, 1988, T. II : De 1920 à nos jours.
• DE FABRIBECKERS Edmond, La campagne de l'armée belge en 1940, Rossel, Bruxelles, 1978. 
• JAMART Jean, L'armée belge de France de 1940, Chez l'auteur, Bruxelles, 1994.
• GYSEMBERG Maurice, L'évolution des Forces armées belges de juin 1940 au pacte de Bruxelles, 2 vol., ULB, Bruxelles, 1988. 
• CHARLES Jean-Léon, Les forces armées belges au cours de la Deuxième Guerre mondiale, La Renaissance du Livre, Bruxelles, 1970.
• Les combattants de '40. Hommage de la Wallonie aux Prisonniers de guerre, I.J.D., Charleroi, 1995.
• GILET E., « Histoire des prisonniers de guerre 1940-1945 » dans Revue belge d'Histoire militaire, 1987 à 1990.  

If you plan to visit our reading room, please prepare your visit well in advance.

If you need further information, please contact us by e-mail: cegesoma@arch.be.