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Author Topic: This man is your friend  (Read 18237 times)

Offline Prof.Witchheimer

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This man is your friend
« Reply #15 on: September 14, 2007, 11:22:50 AM »
Quote from: "PeteMurray"
Also note: Dutch Sailors are your friends. But are Dutch soldiers?  :?: What about Abyssinians who don't play the bugle?  :?:


I'm sure american propaganda had a poster for both dutch sailors and soldiers, as well as dutch workers/scholars/etc. In those days americans loved all sorts of the dutch people  :lol:  No idea about abyssianin ones without bugle. Probably loved, too  :mrgreen:

Offline xeoran

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This man is your friend
« Reply #16 on: September 14, 2007, 11:51:28 AM »
Great find.

One of the reasons for these posters was to avoid conflict amongst the armies. I believe the US Army released a guidebook in which they specifically asked Irish Americans to play nice and reminded G.I.'s that continous mention of American success in the War for Independance would be met by snide remarks about 1812!*  :D Similarly they had to turn around years of "Russians-are-evil-god-hating-bastard-commies" into "Oh, look at the ickle Ruskie". The joys of propaganda.

*If I remember right it also mentioned that warm beer in British pubs was normal and on no account should they ask for the manager because of it.
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Offline Lowtardog

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This man is your friend
« Reply #17 on: September 14, 2007, 12:13:21 PM »
I received a GI guide book on England as a Xmas Pressie a few years ago I will dig it out for some funny quotes :D

Offline Captain Blood

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This man is your friend
« Reply #18 on: September 14, 2007, 12:20:01 PM »
Heartwarming that a mere 65 years on, we Brits and Germans (plus a few folks from the Dominions and ex-Colonies) can have a chuckle about these things...  :wink:

Are you quite sure these are genuine, Professor? Knowing your facility with all things printed and designed, I suspect a spoof...

The Dutch sailor and Ethiopian bugler are just too absurd to be genuine US propaganda - I mean when the hell would the average GI come into contact with an Ethiopian bugler!

It's a masterly wind-up. Has to be.

Offline Prof.Witchheimer

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This man is your friend
« Reply #19 on: September 14, 2007, 12:29:58 PM »
Quote from: "Captain Blood"
Heartwarming that a mere 65 years on, we Brits and Germans (plus a few folks from the Dominions and ex-Colonies) can have a chuckle about these things...  :wink:

Are you quite sure these are genuine, Professor? Knowing your facility with all things printed and designed, I suspect a spoof...

The Dutch sailor and Ethiopian bugler are just too absurd to be genuine US propaganda - I mean when the hell would the average GI come into contact with an Ethiopian bugler!

It's a masterly wind-up. Has to be.


they're genuine, check it out:
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/
you just need to type "United States. Office of Facts and Figures" in the search row, "# of results to display" should be set at least to 10, and you will get them all :)

Offline xeoran

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This man is your friend
« Reply #20 on: September 14, 2007, 12:38:51 PM »
Quote from: "Captain Blood"
The Dutch sailor and Ethiopian bugler are just too absurd to be genuine US propaganda - I mean when the hell would the average GI come into contact with an Ethiopian bugler!



Well how long did fighting in Abyssinia go on? If the US entered the war in '41 its possible seeing as these are '42 that either G.I.'s or Sailors might have met Abyssinians. Similarly its poss. that Abyssinians fought in Tunisia etc. The Dutch Sailor could be met in the Far East, possibly in the fighting over the Dutch East Indies or the reconquests.

Offline poulppy

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This man is your friend
« Reply #21 on: September 14, 2007, 01:21:37 PM »
Quote from: "xeoran"
Quote from: "Captain Blood"
The Dutch sailor and Ethiopian bugler are just too absurd to be genuine US propaganda - I mean when the hell would the average GI come into contact with an Ethiopian bugler!



Well how long did fighting in Abyssinia go on? If the US entered the war in '41 its possible seeing as these are '42 that either G.I.'s or Sailors might have met Abyssinians. Similarly its poss. that Abyssinians fought in Tunisia etc. The Dutch Sailor could be met in the Far East, possibly in the fighting over the Dutch East Indies or the reconquests.


well it's not so absurd :

Abyssinia was under the control of the Italian army. The ethopian campaign was one of the first english (and free french) victory in the WWII.

and Dutch sailor could be for the pacific front : there was a lot of colonial dutch country in pacific era.
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Offline revford

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This man is your friend
« Reply #22 on: September 14, 2007, 03:22:35 PM »
Quote from: "Plynkes"
Is there an accompanying picture of a chap in a Stahlhelm, saying "THIS MAN IS YOUR ENEMY: SHOOT HIM!"


Like this?

Gav Ford
revford@gmail.com

Offline pnweerar

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This man is your friend
« Reply #23 on: September 14, 2007, 03:52:21 PM »
Damn, dirty, dutch soldiers...

Offline Westfalia Chris

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This man is your friend
« Reply #24 on: September 14, 2007, 04:27:16 PM »
Without wanting to perpetuate any prejudices: That Dutch sailor creeps me out. Donīt know why, and no, itīs not a "Hello-oo, Sailor!" thing.

Offline Chris Steadman

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This man is your friend
« Reply #25 on: September 14, 2007, 04:29:19 PM »
Why are we assuming that these posters are aimed at the military and not at the home front? Could they not be a programme to educate the public about the extent of the allied coalition?

Offline Prof.Witchheimer

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This man is your friend
« Reply #26 on: September 14, 2007, 04:48:23 PM »
Quote from: "Chris Steadman"
Why are we assuming that these posters are aimed at the military and not at the home front? Could they not be a programme to educate the public about the extent of the allied coalition?


Yes, Chris, i think you're right. btw, just found that

http://www.nh.gov/ww2/ww42.html

"Americans had not traveled abroad in great numbers when WWII began. The Office of Facts and Figures issues the "This is your friend" series of posters showing some of America's allies in the war effort to make our allies recognizable to Americans at home. "

Offline Prof.Witchheimer

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« Reply #27 on: September 14, 2007, 04:56:10 PM »
I love american propaganda  :D





more here:

http://www.usmm.net/postertalk2b.html

Offline Plynkes

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This man is your friend
« Reply #28 on: September 14, 2007, 05:24:44 PM »
I was only joking when I suggested it was for recognition purposes!

I had assumed it was along the lines of a "we're all in it together" type of thing, to boost morale.

My favourite along those lines is this one:

So we're all TOGETHER! (But I notice the non-white chaps still have to stand at the back.)



Edit: Nice one Revford. But did they have a time machine? That picture is from the Ardennes in '44, yet they have it on a poster from 1942. How mysterious!  :)
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Offline Captain Blood

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This man is your friend
« Reply #29 on: September 14, 2007, 05:54:46 PM »
Quote from: "revford"
Quote from: "Plynkes"
Is there an accompanying picture of a chap in a Stahlhelm, saying "THIS MAN IS YOUR ENEMY: SHOOT HIM!"


Like this?



Revford - masterly!

There, you see how easy it is to spoof these things!  :mrgreen:

Whatever the truth, they are all very intriguing. I think a few people are now taking it all a bit seriously, trying to construct fiendishly ingenious linkages between how a GI might just have encountered an Ethiopian bugler! Blimey. It was meant as light relief wasn't it Professor?  :wink:

 

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