Propaganda Leaflets Collection

[Grimebox]

British

[Grimebox]

Very rare Japanese leaflet dropped on the Indian soldiers

[lebus12]

US in Birmanie

[lebus12]

German in the east of France . (French troops)

[lebus12]

US, by shell on Colmar Pocket :

[TabsTabs1964]

Hi Robyn and other friends.
If I can contribute something, I have a German pamphlet to throw on the defenders of Leningrad that shows how tight the siege was on the city.



And another Russian to demoralize German soldiers in the harsh winter



This would be its translation

GERMANS!

Are you cold? Well, it will still be colder!
Our frosts have only just begun!
Do lice bite you? Wait a little longer and you will get typhus.
Are bombs, grenades and mines raining on you? Since this is nothing, the grand finale is yet to come!
Go home to the winter quarters in Germany before it's too late. While you are still complete!

[LoyalHistorian]

Thanks Grimebox, lebus12, and TABSTABS1964 for the additions! Sorry I've been so quiet the last week. We've been dealing with an unusual "once-in-a-century" winter storm here in Texas. Been busy trying to weatherize the house and then dealing with power outages. We're fine though, and things are quickly normalizing in our area. Anyway, just now getting a chance to respond and add some more leaflets of my own. Luckily, many of the ones I'm about to post already had translations or are in English! That will save me some time.

-Robyn

[LoyalHistorian]

The "T" series leaflets were made by P.W.B./A.F.H.Q. 8th Army (Psychological Warfare Branch of Allied Force Headquarters attached to the 8th Army). This one is T/42, made by the US to be used against the Germans. This one was made in 1945. I happen to own the regular German language version that would have been disseminated, and also an English language translation that was made by the PWB group. There are always less translation sheets printed, for obvious reasons, so most of the times translation sheets sell for more than the original version. Translations would be filed at headquarters with a copy of the real version, and some translations would also be sent to people like commanding officers with the printed leaflets that were to be disseminated.

T/42 Front




T/42 Back





T/42 Translation Leaflet Front




T/42 Translation Leaflet Back

[LoyalHistorian]

This next leaflet is also from the T series from P.W.B./A.F.H.Q. 8th Army (Psychological Warfare Branch of Allied Force Headquarters attached to the 8th Army). I bought it with the other two just posted. This is T/60. Unfortunately, I only have the translation leaflet for this one. One day I'll find the German language version. It was made in 1945.

T/60 Translation Leaflet Front




T/60 Translation Leaflet Back





I have read a report by Col. Donald F. Hall, of PWB/AFHQ written August 31, 1945 that is very interesting about the unit that made these leaflets. I am including the link at the bottom if you would like to read the whole thing yourself, but I thought I'd summarize the information for you:

The Psychological Warfare Branch of Allied Force Headquarters (PWB/AFHQ) was run by American and British personnel from both military and civilian workers (though during particular campaigns, it was made up with local French and Italians hired as workers, too). PWB used joint personnel and resources from U.S. State Department and Foreign Office agencies of the Office of War Information, Political Warfare Executive, and Ministry of Information, and a portion of the Morale Operations Division of the Office of Strategic Services.

It had its genesis in the preparations for Operation Torch. By the end of 1942, psychological warfare got a written charter from Allied Force Headquarters then formally became PWB in February 1943. PWB operated under the Information and Censorship (INC) Section of AFHQ. For the Mediterranean Theater, it eventually was set up with four zones of operation: North African, Central Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean and Eastern Mediterranean. They would have teams that worked with specific Armies throughout the war, like the Fifth Army and the Eighth Army.

After Normandy was invaded, part of PWB from the Mediterranean were taken for the Southern France Campaign and went into France with attacking forces. That entire team personnel was transferred to SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) with the Seventh Army and Sixth Army Group. Interestingly, the French were very determined to take over all operations in their country after the invasion, even in propaganda, so the Americans curtailed their involvement in that area until they reached German territory and then resumed their normal propaganda role, but under SHAEF. [A large majority of SHAEF’s propaganda leaflets were the “ZG” series, which I showed one Safe Conduct Pass earlier. I have several ZG leaflets I’ll get to eventually to scan.]

In the fall of 1944, PWD had three zones of operation: Eastern Mediterranean, including the Balkans; Central Mediterranean, including Sicily; and Western Mediterranean, which included the Southern French operation. Eastern Mediterranean was made up of predominantly British workers because of their interests in the area, so Western Mediterranean became mostly the Americans’ responsibility because of Southern France. Again, that part of PWB was absorbed into SHAEF. Most of PWB was taken out of North Africa, and the Balkans/Greece went to the British personnel. Italy remained the most jointly held American-British operations for PWB.

In October 1944, PWB became its own Special Staff Section, and so was no longer controlled by INC. Instead, it reported directly to Chief of Staff of the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Force. This is when the organization became its most efficient, and combat teams continued to work in Italy under the 15th Army Group directive with the Fifth and Eighth Armies. Slowly, starting in January 1945, with local news groups, the Italian government, Ministry of Information, and OWI taking over some of the responsibilities that PWB originally held, PWB’s services lessened in areas and the majority of its operations in Italy closed as of July 15, 1945.

A PWB program was put into place in Venezia Giulia because of fighting between Yugoslavs and the Italians, but the program was renamed Allied Information Service. Some groups were transferred to Austria to help set up a program there.

Though I’m focusing on propaganda leaflets, PWB (as well as other psychological warfare units) had many different psychological methods, with Broadcast Station Operating Detachments, Mobile Radio Broadcasting Companies, and Combat Propaganda Team. They had loudspeaker trucks, printed leaflets (even with mobile printing presses in some cases!), news dissemination, radio propaganda activity, and motion picture programs.

Approximately four billion leaflets were prepared for dissemination by the PWB/AFHQ during the Mediterranean campaigns. Of course not every leaflet was used for one reason or another, but it was determined that approximately 68 percent of the total printed leaflets were disseminated to the enemy - just over 2.7 billion. Leaflets were disseminated by plane, artillery fire, and hand-to-hand contact.

Link to Col. Donald F. Hall's full report:

Psychological Warfare in the Mediterranean Theater

[AZPhil]

Great documents Ladies and Gent's.
This is my first time seeing these.
Thank You for sharing them!

Semper Fi
Phil