'Stay Where You Are', Ministry of Information leaflet, 1940 (c)

Leaflet issued by the Ministry of Information on behalf of the War Office and the Ministry of Home Security, World War Two (1939-1945).

With the evacuation of British forces from the European mainland in 1940, the invasion of the United Kingdom became a very real prospect.

This leaflet contains instructions on how to proceed in the event of such an invasion. It refers to lessons learned from the campaign in France and Belgium where thousands of refugees fled their homes, blocking roads and obstructing the vital movement of Allied troops.

For those civilians contemplating flight the leaflet provides a stark warning, 'If you do not stay put you will stand a very good chance of being killed. The enemy may machine-gun you from the air in order to increase panic'.

From a collection of papers collected by Mr D Delay, Home Guard, 1943-1944.