1915 "Join the Army at Once & Help to Stop an Air Raid" British WWI Poster, Framed

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This vintage British recruitment poster, published in 1915, calls on men to join the Army. In full, the text reads, … Read more This vintage British recruitment poster, published in 1915, calls on men to join the Army. In full, the text reads, “It is far better to face the bullets than to be killed at home by a bomb / Join the Army at once & help stop an air raid / God save the king.” On the poster, a silhouette of London lies beneath a spotlighted German Zeppelin looming above. The poster was issued by the Publicity Department, Central Recruiting Depot, Whitehall S.W. It was published by Andrew Reid & Co., Ltd., out of Newcastle-on-Tyne.

WWI was the first time British civilians were in the direct line of fire in the modern era, creating the idea of the "homefront.’" Traditionally concerned with its coastal borders, Britain was highly unprepared for a sudden and prolonged German air raid. Throughout 1915 and 1916, successive German Zeppelin attacks ravaged several cities, but most notably London. These attacks continued until 1918, but newer aircrafts were used. The Germans hoped to enrage the British people so that they would demand their government made peace. However, their plan backfired when the United Kingdom cried for German defeat instead. Unprepared to face such intensive aerial attacks, the British quickly adapted with anti-aircraft technologies and upgraded communication systems. By May 1918, the aerial threat had passed and over 60 Gothas (another German bomber introduced in 1917) were destroyed. Posters such as this one called on young men to enlist in the Army. It appealed to their sense of heroism and protection of the home front in the face of adversity. See less