Questionnaire, 1997

Below is a questionnaire circulated in late 1997, early 1998, to people who remembered posters from the Second World War. I got many replies, and some of the particularly interesting ones are featured here. The interviews did not materialise due to cost and time restraints, as I had so many archives to visit!

Questionnaire into the memories that people have about British Home Front posters of the Second World War

If there are any questions that you would rather not answer, please feel free to leave them blank.

Personal Background

Name

Date of Birth

What did you do during the war?

Where did you live during the war?

The Posters

Are there any posters that you particularly remember from the war? Please describe any particular images, characters or slogans that you remember.

Purpose/Effect of the posters

Did you feel that posters were largely asking you to do something, or to feel something?

Do something	[ ]
Feel something	[ ]
Both	[ ]

Did you feel the need to act after you had seen any posters? Do you remember any specific incidences of this?

Were there any appeals that struck you as being particularly necessary to make? Could you give me any examples?

Were there any appeals that struck you as being particularly unnecessary to make? Could you give me any examples?

The time and the place

Where do you remember seeing the posters?

I am trying to date some of the poster campaigns. Do you associate any particular posters, or themes in posters, with any particular year/event during the war?

Some other thoughts

Did you think of the posters as propaganda?

Yes	[ ]
No	[ ]

Do you feel that the images in the posters accurately reflected any aspects of your life? Could you give any examples of this?

Did you know the names of a ny of the artists? If you can remember any, please write them here.

Organisations

Have you heard of the Ministry of Information, and do you know what it did?

Have you heard of Mass-Observation, and do you know what it did?

Have you heard of the Home Intelligence Division, and do you know what it did?

Do you remember hearing about any of these organisations during the war?

Ministry of Information	Yes [ ] No [ ]
Mass-Observation	Yes [ ] No [ ]
Home Intelligence Division	Yes [ ] No [ ]

Were you approached by any of these organisations during the war?

Ministry of Information	Yes [ ] No [ ]
Mass-Observation	Yes [ ] No [ ]
Home Intelligence Division	Yes [ ] No [ ]

Use of Information Agreement

The purpose of the Agreement is to ensure that the information that you have provided is used in accordance with your wishes.

I hereby licence Rebecca Lewis to copy and use my contribution for the following purposes:-

Private study
Educational use
Broadcasting
Publishing
Public performances
Displays and exhibitions
Deposit with appropriate archival repository

Special Terms:

Signature …………………………………………………………………………………………………

Date …………………………………………………………………………………………………

Contact Details:

Please Print off & Send to:

Miss Rebecca Lewis
School of HHS,
King Alfred’s College
WINCHESTER
Hampshire, UK
SO22 4NR

E.Mail: web@ww2poster.co.uk

If you feel, having completed the questionnaire, that you still have further memories concerning this topic, please indicate here whether you would be prepared to share them with me by means of an interview:

Yes	[ ]
No	[ ]

I might not be able to follow up every individual offer, but if you have indicated ‘Yes’ then I will contact you.