Mystery Hudson poster

I don’t think the Ministry would prodice a poster for a few hundred (at absolute most) Spanish speakers in Gib. Far more likely to be for use in Spain (though how is beyond me) or Latin America. My guess would be Latin America, as it would be a counter to the pervasive and effective pro-German organisations there.

What other Spanish speaking colonies did Britain have circa 1941?

Any in South America? Did they speak Spanish in the Falkland Islands then? As James says there could be other likely possibilities

The Gibraltar theory seems to have hit the nail on the head then.

Hmmm. It’s a theory we have no evidence – yet. It’s just as likely to be something completely different!

That’s what i was thinking, just like other British WW2 Propoganda posters. The Gibraltar theory seems to have hit the nail on the head then.

There is a distinct familiarity of the stle of that poster James. I’m sure I have seen others like it, similar/same artist, same border style, etc. I have been having a look round but all I can find is these ones which is kind of similar:

http://www.museumofworldwarii.com/Images2005/04Poster4lge.gif
from this page
http://www.museumofworldwarii.com/TourText/Area04_BattleofBritain.htm

and

http://www.rubycon.org/photos/bletchley/poster1.jpg

PS I love the “Old Boomerang” Lockheed PR. :rolleyes:

Thanks for those Dave!

I think the absence of a ‘Lockheed’ signiture points to the Spanish language one being a British originated poster. The Gibraltar suggestion is an interesting one, and Skipper’s research on the original raid being on a Spanish ship in German service in 1941 could be a big clue as to the reason for the poster…

Thanks chaps.

Any more?

Well, Lockheed did make overtly political adverts for the Hudson as it happens. See the attached poster entitled Hard Boiled Babies. This is post-entry into the war though. I don’t know if they were so political before the 7th of Decemeber 1941.

I am adding a few other Lockheed adverts I have found over the years on the net, not sure where. But they show the style of their advertising for comparison, which may or may not help. They will at least hopefully be of interest.

The poster you photographed James looks a lot more to me like British Ministry of Information style than Lockheed advertising.

I wonder if this was produced for Spanish-speaking British Citizens in places like Gibraltar?

Hi Rob,
No, I didn’t noticce any publishers marks – it was just another interesting thing at the time, so I didn’t look hard enough.

I agree with your logic, that’s kind of certain, but I’d like to see if we can get some facts to back up the suppositions. Anyone seen other Spanish language posters advancing ‘Truth, Justice and the Empire Way’?

…yes…but…

The question is not what happened (thanks for that though) – but why a Spanish language version of the poster?

Why not?
If it’s all about Britain defelding liberty it sounds like a British political poster made for export to the spanish speaking world, some of which was officially neutral. I wouldn’t have thought Lockheed would have produced something so overtly political, especially in October 1941 when the USA was still technically neutral.

I’m assuming there weren’t any publisher’s markings low down on the poster itself?

Rob / Kansan

Thanks Skipper,

…yes…but…

The question is not what happened (thanks for that though) – but why a Spanish language version of the poster?

I can’t see Franco ordering them for Facist Spain, (!) and I can’t see it for the Latin Amrican market either.

Who were they produced by (Lockheed? the Ministry of Information?) and whom for?

Hi, James!

From www.skovheim.org:

The steamship Barcelona was sunk on the 29th of October 1941 outside Ålesund harbor. Barcelona was used by the Germans as a cargo freighter and troop transporter under the second world war. Until she was sunk outside Ålesund city in 1941 she was used for troop transport of German soldiers. On the 29th of October 1941 in the morning a British reconnaissance from Scotland flown over the city and observed the German cargo freighters which laid at anchor outside Ålesund harbor. It was thereby decided that they should launch a “Anti-shipping” attack on these vessels that same night. A quarter past nine that night the air alarm rings through Ålesund city when nine British Lockheed Hudson attacks the vessels. Barcelona is heavily damaged and one civilian and two antiaircraft soldiers are killed under the attack. Barcelona sink shortly after the attack. Today the wreck of Barcelona lies on a depth of forty two to seventy meters relatively good intact nortwest of Ålesund city, and in 1993 the ship bell was found and salvaged by sportsdivers. The wreck rest with listing on port side nearly three hundred meters from ashore out from Kongens gate, and you must have a boat to get out to the site…

Regards

Skipper

(P.S. Without wanting to insult your intelligence 🙂 – Ålesund (i.e. Aalesund) is between Bergen and Trondheim in Norway!)