"'Be careful what you say and where you say it! Careless Talk Costs Lives', 1940

Colour photolithograph poster by Cyril Kenneth Bird ('Fougasse'), 1940.

In February 1940 the Ministry of Information launched a nation wide poster campaign to warn the general public against loose talk and the dangers of unwittingly giving information to enemy agents and sympathisers. Under the slogan 'Careless Talk Costs Lives', millions of posters were distributed to offices, shops, factories and public houses.

Several of the posters were based on drawings by 'Punch' cartoonist 'Fougasse' (Cyril Kenneth Bird) whose humorous designs often showed Hitler or other leading Nazis listening in on unsuspecting gossipers. In this example two men chat in a pub whilst Hitler listens in.

One of eight posters in the 'Careless Talk Costs Lives' series.