For millions of Britons who lived through the war years from 1939 to 1945, poster themes such as Dig on for Victory, Careless talk costs lives, and Is your journey really necessary? were never to be forgotten. The wartime posters reproduced in this publication are a small selection from the many hundreds prepared by the Ministry of Information as part of their propaganda campaign. Although they were not intended to be great works of art, many were designed by distinguished artists of the day and their value goes beyond the topical. And as well as their message, they provide a glimpse of the prevailing manners and customs and mirror the changing fortunes of the war.