Catalogue description Metropolitan Police Service: Specialist Operations Branch (SO1): Records of the War Crimes Unit 1991-1999

The investigation of war crimes is one of the functions of the Metropolitan Police and is documented on the CR file series in MEPO 26. The records in this series are drawn from that series but were created for the use of the unit constituted under the War Crimes Act 1991.

Under the Act a unit staffed by the Metropolitan Police Service was formed to "investigate allegations of war crimes (limited to murder, manslaughter and culpable homicide constituting a violation of the laws and customs of war) which were committed between 1 September 1939 and 5 June 1945 in Germany or German occupied territory by persons who were, on 8 March 1990, or who have subsequently become, British citizens or resident in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands."

The Act received royal assent on 8 May and the unit began investigations on 28 May. Over 300 allegations were investigated by the Unit which was able to draw on the support of interpreters, historians and lawyers. A small number of investigations resulted in prosecution.

The Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit was formally wound up in 1999 and residual work was taken over by a section of the Organised Crime Group within Specialist Operations (SO) Department.