“Wanted for Incitement to Murder” – Double-Sided Propaganda Poster Against British Prime Minister Winston Churchill During World War II. A propaganda leaflet dropped from a German aircraft in August 1940 at the height of World War II.
The front features a photograph of Winston Churchill holding a Thompson submachine gun (“Tommy Gun”), with the bold inscription: “Wanted for Incitement to Murder.” The reverse side states: “This thief, whom you see in action in the picture, incites you by his example to participate in a kind of war in which women, children, and ordinary civilians play central roles. This form of warfare is entirely criminal and is forbidden by The Hague Convention. It will be punished according to military law. At least save your families from the horrors of war!”
The Wehrmacht propaganda office used this photo of Churchill, which originally appeared in the British press in May 1940, taken during Churchill’s visit to a coastal defense unit in Hartlepool in July 1940, where he was photographed holding the weapon used by the unit. In response to the German leaflet drops, the British War Office established the “Home Guard”, aimed at countering German aircraft that were dropping propaganda leaflets over British territory.
[1] Leaf. 20×14 cm. Remnants of adhesive tape in the center with minor text damage. Condition: Good.
