what is a POW?
A prisoner of war (POW, PoW, PW, P/W, WP, PsW, enemy prisoner of war (EPW) or missing-captured) is a person, whether combatant or non-combatant, who is held in custody by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase is dated 1660.o be entitled to prisoner-of-war status, captured persons must be lawful combatants entitled to combatant's privilegeâwhich gives them immunity from punishment for crimes constituting lawful acts of war such as killing enemy combatants.