Surrendered Enemy Personnel (SEP) is a designation for captive enemy soldiers (similar to Disarmed Enemy Forces). It was most commonly used by British forces towards German forces in Europe, and towards Japanese and associated forces in Asia after the end of World War II.
On March 1, 1947 the U.S. stated that the SEPs should be regarded as POW's and be treated in accordance with the Geneva conventions.
The designation of SEP allowed the Royal Navy to use the German command structure to facilitate the disbandment of the Kriegsmarine.
In the Malay Emergency the UK also used the definition SEP, alongside Captured Enemy Personnel (CEP). The distinction made was that SEP were insurgents who surrendered to the British, while Captured Enemy Personnel were not. Both designations were treated as Prisoners of War.
Famous quotes containing the words surrendered, enemy and/or personnel:
“Each is liable to panic, which is exactly, the terror of ignorance surrendered to the imagination. Knowledge is the encourager, knowledge that takes fear out of the heart, knowledge and use, which is knowledge in practice. They can conquer who believe they can. It is he who has done the deed once who does not shrink from attempting again.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Cats walk the floor at midnight; that enemy of fog,
The moon, wraps the bedpost in receding stillness....”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)
“This woman is headstrong, obstinate and dangerously self- opinionated.”
—Report by Personnel Officer at I.C.I., rejecting Mrs. Thatcher for a job in 1948.