Kriegies: The Australian Airmen of Stalag Luft III - Hardcoverby Kristen Alexander (Author) Who could pronounce Kriegsgefangener? The German for prisoner of war was too much of a mouthful. More to the point, it reminded POWs of their status as unwilling non combatants. They were ashamed of it. Instead, airman POWs dubbed themselves 'kriegies', based on the first syllable war. It became a 'fun' word which emphasised that they were still men of war. It was one of the many ways in which they coped with captivity.