Propaganda in London
Tom Holloway (xuegx@CSV.WARWICK.AC.UK)
Thu, 13 Jun 1996 22:14:08 +0100
We had several poster campaigns during the war. The
one that I remember most clearly was rather like the
one described by Lotte - it was all about a horrid-
looking insect called 'The Squanderbug' which tried to
get people to spend money instead of saving it, or to
buy food instead of growing it in their gardens. The
Squanderbug had swastikas all over its body, so you
knew it definitely wasn't British!
There was also 'Dig for Victory', trying to get people
to be self-sufficient in food - even bits of Hyde Park
in the middle of London were dug over for potatoes and
onions.
There were lots and lots of Hitler cartoons, and (of
course) Goering and Goebbels were obvious targets for
cartoonists.
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I have a fascinating bit of propaganda if anyone would
like a copy. It's a tape of a German war-time Swing
Band, Charley and his Orchestra, that used to broadcast
to British soldiers to try and make them discontent.
The tunes were the usual popular ones, but the words
were changed. Two examples:
"who's that man with the big cigar
the friend of the jew and the USSR
He's sold his empire off to Frankie (Roosevelt)
and the girls back home are up to yankie-pankie..."
(To the tune of 'Stormy Weather')
"Don't know why, it's no matter how I try,
stormy weather.....
since those submarines are aiming better,
just can't keep my ships together,
they're sinking all the time......"
If anyone would like a copy of this tape, please send
me your snail address. It's an extraodinary bit of
musical history.
Tom (the London Schoolboy)
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Tom Holloway - +44 (0) 1926 888333
Home: 1926 420204 Fax: 1926 435534
Internet: t.holloway@warwick.ac.uk
URL http://www.tcns.co.uk/chatback/
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