'What are you doing about Education?', 1945

Army Education Poster, 1945, by Sergeant H F (Fred) Darking (1911-1999), Royal Engineers, 1945.

Fred Darking was from Basford, Nottinghamshire and worked as a commercial artist before World War Two (1939-1945). In 1940 he enlisted in the Army and served in the camouflage department of the Royal Engineers.

He saw service in North Africa and took part in the Normandy invasion and the advance into Europe. Whilst not an official War Artist, he sketched and painted in his spare time. Often recreating the sights and scenes he experienced.

This poster may relate to the work of the Army Bureau of Current Affairs (ABCA). Formed in 1941, ABCA was set up by the War Office to raise morale and to educate British service personnel about current affairs. Soon considered an integral part of Army training, the programme of activities organised by ABCA, such as lectures, film shows, plays and discussions, aimed to empower soldiers with the weapon of knowledge.