The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
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The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Dressed for Action:
Flying Clothing in British Propaganda Material
Depicting Royal Air Force Aviators, 1939 1945
Liam Barnsdale
Abstract
Throughout the Second World War, a wide variety of methods were used to promote
the actions and characters of the aviators in the Royal Air Force in Britain. In
particular, flying clothing was repeatedly included in visual representations of these
aviators to encourage their recognition and appreciation by the British public. This
article examines visual representations of Royal Air Force aviators and their flying
clothing in material including posters and films produced for domestic consumption
in Britain during the Second World War (1939 1945). It is argued that the symbolic
use of flying clothing in visual material produced and circulated during this period can
be divided into three categories of use as propaganda: as a symbol to aid
identification of aviators; as a means to invite interest and fascination with the Royal
Air Force; and as a visual representation to characterise and contextualise depictions
of aviators and their surroundings. This usage served to promote Royal Air Force
aviators in a manner that encouraged recruitment as well as enhanced popular support
war effort.
for the Royal Air Force and its contribution to
5
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Introduction
Clothing played a pivotal role in visual representations of Royal Air Force aviators that
circulated in Britain during the Second World War (1939 1945) and strongly
influenced public opinion of the service. For example, depictions of Royal Air Force
fighter pilots often highlighted the stylish cut of the Royal Air Force Service Dress1
of Fighter Command, an
such that they came to be known as the
2
hero
adoration bemoaned by many, but served to encourage the British
worship. Similarly, visual representations of Royal Air Force aviators featured both
bomber crews and fighter pilots shown wearing thick, bulky, and often awkward flying
clothing and equipment, while working in harsh working environments, conveying a
resulting hardiness and willingness to serve. Given that these
message of the
images were staged, the clothing worn by the featured aviators was not merely the
result of happenstance or a reflection of circumstantial reality, but arguably a
conscious creative decision.
Although the Royal Air Force uniform was worn when airmen appeared in public,
the reasons behind the inclusion of flying clothing, defined for this article as the
equipment worn by aviators over their uniforms while flying, in visual representations
of airmen are less clear, as aviators only wore these garments and equipment during
military operations and while out of the public eye. For this reason, the pervasive use
of flying clothing in visual culture that circulated during the Second World War
identification of aviators, but
cannot be attributed purely to aiding the British
rather can be regarded as a deliberate attempt to influence the British
perception of Royal Air Force aviators.
1
Dress include:
The film,
Directed by Carol Reed, 1944, Two Cities Films, London, England.
The newspaper advertisement for
c
Have
1 to See You Through I
, London, England, 3 October 1940, p.
3.
The cartoon,
London, England, British Cartoon Archive, Canterbury, Kent, England, 5 February 1942, JL2029.
2
The Reprint Society, London, England, 1958, p.
Guy Gibson in James E. Johnson,
172.
Examples of this resentment include:
Michael Joseph, London, England, 1971, p.
Spike Milligan,
57.
Royal Air Force Museum Archive, London, England, X005
James Storrar,
4835/002, 1940, pp. 2 3.
6
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This article argues that the widespread symbolic use of Royal Air Force flying clothing
in visual materials produced by the British Air Ministry and Ministry of Information
can be equated to propaganda in promoting the Royal Air Force during the Second
World War. The symbolic use of Royal Air Force clothing in this way had three
purposes: firstly, it served to facilitate audience identification of Royal Air Force
aviators; secondly, it promoted public interest and fascination in the work of the Royal
Air Force; and thirdly, flying clothing served as a visual metaphor to frame the aviators
as experienced, hardy, and battle ready.
The word, propaganda, is highly contentious, and laden with negative connotations
and associations, such as its use in obscuring atrocities from unknowing populations
or imposing the rule of autocratic governments through fear. Despite the popularity
of these negative associations, there exists vast historiographical debate over the
definition of propaganda, with contributions from numerous historians and political
scientists.3 Although they inevitably differ in their parameters for defining what is and
what is not propaganda, most authors agree that the nature of the message and the
manner of its propagation is irrelevant to its categorisation as propaganda, and
therefore counter productive in any definition of propaganda. Indeed, as Harold
Lasswell eloquently put it, Propaganda, considered as the technique of controlling
attitudes by the manipulation of significant symbols, is no more moral or immoral
4
than a pump
3
For examples of historical definitions, see:
, and David Welch,
, ABC
Editors,
CLIO, Santa Barbara, California, United States, 2003, pp. 319 323.
For more recently suggested definitions, see:
David Welch,
The British Library, London, England, 2013,
pp. 28 30.
Randal Marlin,
Broadview Press, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada, 2002, pp. 15 23.
Sage Publications, Thousand
Oaks, California, United States, 2006, p. 7.
4
The
University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, United States, Volume 38, Number 3, April 1928, p.
264.
7
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Accordingly, the ethical questions around the word, propaganda, have been
disregarded in this
approach to the subject. Instead, propaganda is defined in
this article as any visual material that promotes, or includes favourable representations
of, Royal Air Force aviators either produced by, or with the approval of, the British
government or governmental entities, primarily the Ministry of Information, Air
Ministry, and Royal Air Force for public distribution within Britain. This scope
includes posters and books produced by governmental departments; newsreels for
which footage was screened and pooled by the Ministry of Information before
distribution to newsreel production companies; and feature films produced with the
aid of the Air Ministry and Royal Air Force before being censored by the Ministry of
Information. Media that fall outside of this definition, such as cartoons or
unpublished personal testimony, will be taken not as propaganda, but as
representations of public opinion.
definitions, primarily
This definition is based on a combination of other
those proposed by the authors, David Welch, Garth S. Jowett, and Victoria
5
The material used in this article has been sourced from archives in both
the United Kingdom and New Zealand, primarily the archive collections of the
Imperial War Museum,
College London, Royal Air Force Museum, Museum
of New Zealand Te Papa Tongawera, and Air Force Museum of New Zealand.
Additionally, digital archives were drawn upon, including those of
of London, and
along with the British Cartoon
Archive, and Mass Observation Online. Films, where inaccessible online, were
viewed in DVD form. All sources were identified either by keyword searches for a
variety of terms relating to the Royal Air Force, aviators, and propaganda in online
catalogues for each of these collections.
Although the term, air crew, is a more technically correct term for Royal Air Force
flying personnel, this article instead uses the word, aviator, due to the latter
wider public recognition. Additionally, the former term could be taken to imply only
personnel who composed the crew of multi person aircraft such as bombers, with the
exclusion of pilots flying single person aircraft such as fighters. The term, flying
clothing, refers to the equipment aviators wore over their uniforms while flying to
protect them from the extreme cold and lack of oxygen encountered at high altitude
in their unpressurised aircraft. It also refers to equipment worn in flight for use in the
event of an emergency, such as parachutes, which aviators would use should they need
to bail out, or life preservers to keep an aviator afloat after landing in the sea.
Welch, op cit., pp. 28 30.
Jowett and
5
7.
8
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
The flying clothing considered in this article is limited to four specific articles of
clothing or equipment:
1. The 1930 Pattern Flying Suit and its derivatives, a cream coloured
or olive coloured cotton one piece overall known as the Sidcot,
named for its inventor, Sidney Cotton (1894 1969), and
illustrated in Figure 12.
2. The brown sheepskin Irvin Jacket, visible in Figure 8, the top half
of the Irvin Flying Suit.
3. The 1932 and 1941 Pattern Life Preservers, both nicknamed Mae
West in homage to the Hollywood actress, Mae West (1893
1980), seen on the chests of the aviators in Figure 10.
4. The many varieties of leather flying helmets, goggles, and oxygen
mask combinations used by the Royal Air Force during 1939
1945, examples of which are depicted in Figures 3, 4, and 9.6
These items were selected based on the frequency of their appearance in the visual
material accessed in the surveyed archives. Other items of flying equipment, such as
flying boots and parachute harnesses, were excluded from this article due to the
relative infrequency of their occurrences in the material examined.
At present, no known official memorandum produced by the Ministry of
Information, Air Ministry, or Royal Air Force proves or disproves the existence of
any concerted campaign to use and promote flying clothing in these agencie
domestically distributed propaganda material. Therefore, this article explores the
stated hypothesis through a study of the visual material located in the previously listed
physical and digital archives, using visual analysis to identify patterns in the use of
flying clothing and infer conclusions from the form and frequency of its appearances.
These sources have been divided according to how they utilised flying clothing into
the three categories previously outlined: those materials that used flying clothing to
facilitate the identification of aviators by their audiences; those materials that
promoted flying clothing to encourage public interest in the work of the Royal Air
Force; and those materials that utilised flying clothing to imbue their aviator characters
with favourable attributes of hardiness, virility, and battle readiness. Each of these
three categories will be covered sequentially, beginning with identification, the most
frequently appearing and least inferential of the three uses of flying clothing.
For further information on these pieces of equipment and practical use, see:
Osprey Publishing, London, England, 1990.
Andrew Cormack,
6
9
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Flying Clothing as Identification
The flying clothing that appeared in visual materials produced during the Second
World War allowed the audience for this material to readily identify Royal Air Force
aviators. The symbolic use of flying clothing is best exemplified in posters, where the
limitations imposed by space and the need to have messages as brief, eye catching,
and understandable as possible prevented the use of long explanations of
occupations and backgrounds. Posters featuring Royal Air Force aviators produced
by His
Stationery Office (HMSO) often gave no written explanation of the
occupation, relying solely on the inclusion of flying clothing to
featured
identify the aviators to the audience.
Such is the case with the undated HMSO poster
(Figure 1) in which a smiling aviator with his flying helmet in one hand and parachute
in the other, wears a parachute harness over a Mae West life preserver.7 The text
8
about aerodromes or aircraft
The lack of a
warns readers to not
written explanation indicates HMSO anticipated that the flying clothing worn by the
central character would be sufficient to ensure the audience recognised his
occupation. Additional evidence can be found in the undated poster
9
As the poster contains no text beyond its title, the
man photographed is only identifiable as an aviator by his bulky ensemble of Sidcot
flying suit, parachute harness, gauntlets, flying helmet, and goggles. In both examples,
interpretation of the
the symbolism of the flying clothing is pivotal to the
intended messages.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 490 x
740 mm, Printed by Brent Press Ltd., London, England, Publishe
Office, London, England, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 13955.
8
Ibid.
9
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph, 556 x 830 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown, Imperial War
Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14222.
7
10
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Figure 1:
Detail, Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 490 x 740 mm,
Printed by Brent Press Ltd., and Published by
His
Stationery Office, London, England,
© Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art. IWM PST 13955.
11
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
While posters such as
and
used photographs of real or ostensibly real Royal Air Force
aviators, others presented cartoons or drawings of imagined Royal Air Force aviators.
(Figure 2) and
Posters such as
illustrated aviators thickly insulated by the one piece Sidcot
overall, as well as helmet, parachute harness, and gauntlets.10 Once again, both of these
examples make no specific written acknowledgement of their central
occupations, merely reinforcing the visual cues of flying clothing and aircraft with
11
references to the
and their work environment being
in the
Figure 2:
Detail, Poster,
Owen Miller, circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph, 507 x 762 mm,
Printed by Fosh and Cross Ltd.,
Published by Ministry of
Aircraft Production, and
Stationery Office,
His
London, England,
© Imperial War Museum,
London, England,
Art. IWM PST 14276.
Poster,
Owen Miller, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 507 x 762 mm, Printed by
Fosh and Cross Ltd., London, England, Published by Ministry of Aircraft Production, London,
London, England, Imperial War Museum, London,
England, Art.IWM PST 14276.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph, 508 x 748 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown, Imperial War
Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14220.
11
Ibid.
10
12
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Other posters omitted full body portraits of aviators in favour of illustrations that
focus on the head and shoulders. In the posters
the flying helmets and
(Figure 3) and
goggles worn by the men serve as the primary visual evidence of their occupation as
aviators.12 The poster
along with its
support
companion piece
, thereby using
its visual symbols with references in bold print to the characters
both imagery and literary references to help their audiences identify the aviators.13
(Figure 3), offer no direct
Other posters, such as
literary explanation that its central character is a Royal Air Force aviator. Instead,
relies on the symbolism inherent in the flying clothing worn by the
aviator as identification, with the only written mention of aviation being the small
credit to the Ministry of Aircraft Production at the
bottom right
14
hand corner. The flying
symbolic role can therefore be likened to that of
the steel helmet in such posters as
its connection to the Royal Air Force being so strong that this headgear could
appear by itself and yet still clearly identify its wearer as an aviator.15
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 502
Poster,
x 753 mm, Printed by Fosh and Cross Ltd., London, England, Published by Ministry of Aircraft
12
Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14262.
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Poster,
Lithograph, 378 x 1522 mm, Printed by Stafford and Company, Netherfield, Nottingham, England,
Published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial War Museum, London,
England, Art.IWM PST 14261.
13
op cit.
14
op cit.
15
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph, 505 x 760 mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London, England, Published by His
ngland, Imperial War Museum, London, England,
Art.IWM PST 13953.
13
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Figure 3:
Detail, Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 502 x 753 mm,
Printed by Fosh and Cross Ltd.,
Published by Ministry of Aircraft Production, and
Stationery Office, London, England,
His
© Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art. IWM PST 14262.
14
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Harnessing the potency of flying helmets and goggles as symbols of the Royal Air
Force, aviators were easily distinguished in propaganda materials from steel helmeted
British Army and sailor capped Royal Navy personnel. Representations similar to
(Figure 3) and
were included in posters
those used in
that promoted messages of inter service unity or encouraged men to enlist. In the
(Figure 4), one man from each service points towards
poster,
16
the viewer. Each is dressed differently, with the aviator wearing a flying helmet and
goggles, indicating that these particular garments were considered defining traits,
separating the Royal Air Force aviator from his compatriots in the British Army and
Royal Navy.
A similar focus on headwear in imagery created by The Ministry of Labour and
poster series. In
National Service can be seen in their
an aviator is
the air force edition of these posters,
depicted wearing a flying helmet with its oxygen mask dangling on his shoulder above
the collar of his largely obscured Irvin Jacket.17 By comparison,
and
illustrated a soldier wearing a
18
steel helmet and a sailor with a blue cap, respectively. Given the similarities between
the postures, dress, and faces of the characters in the three posters and those in
it seems plausible that the drawn figures in the latter poster were
adapted from the photographs in the former. By capturing and using a photograph of
an aviator wearing a flying helmet, the producers of the original poster series either
believed the piece of flying clothing to be the most recognisable visual symbol of Royal
Air Force aviators, or desired it to be so.
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 488 x 746 mm,
Poster,
Printed by Fosh and Cross Ltd.
London, England, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14435.
17
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 508 x
760 mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London, England, Published by Ministry of Labour and
Natio
Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14277.
18
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 506 x
Poster,
762 mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London, England, Published by Ministry of Labour and
National
Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14423.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 507 x 760
mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London, England, Published by Ministry of Labour and National
16
Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14032.
15
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Figure 4:
Detail, Poster,
Artist Unknown,
circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph,
488 x 746 mm,
Printed by
Fosh and Cross Ltd.,
Published by
His
Stationery Office,
London, England,
© Imperial
War Museum,
London, England,
Art. IWM PST
14435.
In each of the selected posters, aviators served as the focal point in the images and in
this way strengthened the messages by personalising their appeals. Audience
recognition of these characters as aviators was central to the comprehension of the
intended messages therein. However, these aviators were either anonymous or
rendered as such, and their identity as Royal Air Force aviators was revealed primarily
by their garb and only indirect literary references made to their occupation. Flying
clothing was central to the public image of Royal Air Force aviators during the Second
recognition
World War, and as a result saw regular use in posters to aid
of aviators whose images had been used to support a range of goals including
recruitment, armament production, and public morale.
16
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To Fascinate the Audience
Not only did flying clothing serve to identify aviators in visual material, but it was also
used in propaganda to feed the high level of public fascination in the Royal Air Force.
The enthusiastic response to a display of aviation related material by the
Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) at
London department store in August 1940
was discussed in a government report that observed, The main points of interest were
in two corners, in one of which was the British parachute and model of British Airman
19
in flying dress, and in the other the German
So profound was the
equipment that
no one was paying
visitor interest in this display of
20
WAAF life and wor
This example highlights
any attention to the
flying
potential to inspire and intrigue the British public during the Second
World War.
Stories propagated across multiple forms of visual media stoked public interest in
Royal Air Force flying clothing by focussing on the technological sophistication of the
equipment used by Royal Air Force aviators while flying. One article from the annual
publication
titled,
for
(Figure 5), used a
photograph of an unnamed air gunner to name and explain the uses of the
he wore
raids over Germany and Italy 21 In the
HMSO published book,
the
pre operation activities
were described in detail and included not only the items of clothing worn but the
order in which they were donned and their use in the aircraft.22
Mass Observation Archive, The University of Sussex Special Collections, The
University of Sussex, Falmer, Sussex, England, Report No. 323, 5 August 1940, p. 3.
20
Ibid, pp. 2 3.
21
circa 1939 1945, Odhams Press, London, England,
19
22
Anonymous,
His Ma
1942, p. 94.
17
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This overview is accompanied by a photograph depicting a
crew silhouetted
23
beneath the nose of a Vickers Wellington bomber, their outlines emphasising the
bulky appearance of their flying clothing. The combination of literary and visual
emphases on flying clothing could have been a coincidence, but a letter from Richard
Peirse (1892 1970), the Commander in Chief of Bomber Command, personally
Head of Publications, Robert Fraser (1904
thanks the Ministry of Informatio
1985), for his work selecting and arranging the photographs in
,
24
suggests not. In giving particular attention to the
flying clothing, Peirse
reveals its significance within the scope of the range of activities discussed in relation
preparation.25 This evidence suggests that both the Air Ministry and
to the
Ministry of Information promoted Royal Air Force
flying clothing as a means
of engaging the British public.
The Vickers Wellington was a twin engined medium bomber aircraft operated by The Royal Air
Force during 1938 1953. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, the Wellington was the most
modern long range bomber operated by the RAF in large numbers. This effectively made it the
backbone of Bomber Command during the early stages of its strategic bombing campaign against
Germany and northwest Europe while larger four engined bombers, such as the Short Stirling and
Avro Lancaster, were still being developed and brought into mass production. As a consequence of
its modern appearance and availability, the Wellington received a significant amount of publicity
during 1939 1942, featuring prominently in the films
and
24
Richard Peirse,
Royal Air Force Museum Archive, London, England, H
87/1, 15 October 1941.
25
op cit., p. 94.
Anonymous,
23
18
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Figure 5:
for
circa 1939 1945,
Odhams Press,
London, England,
Unknown Page Number,
in
Aeroplane Scrap Book 1943
By Rosemary
Air Force Museum of New Zealand,
Christchurch, New Zealand,
2010/074.1,
Photographed by Liam Barnsdale,
7 September 2018.
19
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Feature films also highlighted the flying clothing worn by Royal Air Force aviators.
Productions such as the
,
and
devoted entire scenes to aviator protagonists changing into flying clothing.26
By presenting film audiences with protracted scenes of aviators in the act of dressing,
the filmmakers offered a behind the scenes look into
lives that gave
emphasis to the high number of items worn and carried by aviators. Cinematic
flying
depictions also stressed the bulk and discomfort of Royal Air Force
clothing and underscored the
lack of grace when wearing parachutes and
asked, W
lifejackets. As the Ministry of Information short film
you hate to be in a straight waistcoat of this kind with only a small part of your face
27
Royal Air Force cartoonist William Hooper (1916 1996) propagated a
magazine
(Figure 6),
similar message in one of his works for the
in which he satirised both the bulkiness of the Royal Air
flying clothing and
the interest of the British public in said clothing, represented by a group of Air
Training Corps cadets standing in admiration. 28 Cinematic depictions of flying
clothing, while unflattering to the protagonists, underscored the individual value of
each item by showing them as distinct component parts of the larger whole, defining
them from each other whilst showing how they fitted together to form the image of
the fully clad aviator. This process both inspired and slaked the desire for knowledge
about
lives and equipment.
26
Directed by Harry Watt, 1941, Crown Film Unit, London, England.
Directed by Anthony Asquith, 1945, Two Cities Films, London, England.
Directed by John Boulting, 1945, Royal Air Force Film Production Unit, Iver
Heath, England.
27
Directed by Gerald Sanger, 1940, British Movietone News, New York, New York,
United States, 1940, Imperial War Museum, London, England, UKY 263.
28
ar, he darn well is
College London, London, England, MISC 21/9, Number 10, January 1942, p. 1.
20
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Figure 6:
William Hooper,
Prune says he
want a Christmas Tree this year, he darn well is
Magazine,
Department of the Air Member for Training, Air Ministry, London, England,
Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives,
College London, England,
MISC 21/9, Number 10, January 1942, p. 1.
Included Thanks to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives.
21
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While feature films showcased the bulky gracelessness flying clothing, newsreels
presented their audiences with similarly intriguing insights into its many ingenious
designs and uses. In a December 1942 film, titled,
the Ministry
illuminated the work of northern English cotton
of
mills in producing flying clothing. In dramatic tones matching the flurry of shots
appearing before the viewer, the narrator detailed the production of wire gauze and
rubberised cotton, and revealed their respective application in the electrically heated
29
of a rear
and
life saving
Not only did the
production, it directly linked the finished products to their
newsreel detail these
pilots to endure
use by aviators, describing how the heated clothing
freezing temperatures at high
and the value of the
atic life saving
30
to
of airmen who have come down into the
Similar expressions of wonder were elicited by the narrator of
January
in Flying
in discussing flying clothing.31
1945 newsreel story
Showcasing the testing of the radically new G suit at a Royal Air Force testing facility,
story talked the audience through how the suit was donned, how it
the
functioned, and its effect on a human subjected to high G forces. In both cases, the
newsreel depictions of flying clothing not only detailed their construction but
reinforced their connection to the aviators that used them by emphasising their
specific use in contemporary aviation. In doing so, the flying clothing seen in the films
became more than simply the clothing worn by aviators, but instead was presented as
appreciation of the difficulties faced
technological wonders that facilitated the
by those fighting the war in the air.
29
135, 6 December 1943.
30
Ibid.
Imperial War Museum, London, England, WPN
British Pathé, London, England, 1145.28, 18
31
January 1945.
22
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Characterising the Aviator as Battle Ready
The use of flying clothing in films and staged photographs was intended to reflect the
environmental conditions endured by Royal Air Force aviators and thus served to
suggest authenticity in such propaganda. Feature films regularly contained aerial
scenes shot on the ground, examples including the depictions of fighter pilots talking
and
.32 The backgrounds in these
to one another in
film scenes were either superimposed, as was the case of the fighter interception scene
form
or remained stationary, as exemplified by brief segments
in the film of the squadron leader telling one of his subordinates to close formation
. Although these scenes were staged, the aviators, seated in their
in
aircraft, appear as if airborne. This effect was created by the flying clothing they wore,
and authenticity was suggested with flying helmets and oxygen masks obscuring their
faces. Just as Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger produced dramatic replications
from the security of Denham
of aerial combat for
Studios, the the Ministry of Information, Air Ministry, and Royal Air Force employed
flying clothing in their material to present earthbound characters as though in mid
flight.33
Numerous photographs of Royal Air Force aviators purportedly taken mid flight
appeared in British newspapers and printed propaganda material including posters
and HMSO books. In each case, the flying clothing worn by the aviators appearing in
such materials suggested that the photographs were taken immediately prior to or
series
during flight. Two recruitment posters in the Air
utilised flying clothing in this manner. One presented a photograph of an air
using a sextant as a part of his
urous
and the other (Figure 7),
o
34
a
sitting in an aircraft, clearly enjoying his
Both
men were clad in Sidcots, and in the case of the air observer this operationally ready
image was reinforced by the addition of flying helmet, goggles, and gauntlets, giving
the impression that the images offered insights into the activities of each role.
Directed by Michael Powell, 1939, Brian Desmond Hurst and Adrian
Brunel, London Films, Denham, England.
op cit.
32
33
Propaganda, 1941
Milton, England, Volume 43, Number 2, October
1997, p. 50.
34
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph and Letterpress, 504 x 761
Poster,
mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London, England, Published by Air Ministry, London, England,
ngland,
Art. IWM PST 14642.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph and Letterpress, 506 x 760
mm, Printed by Jordison and Co. Ltd., London, England, His
England, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art. IWM PST 14635.
23
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Figure 7:
Detail, Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph and Letterpress, 506 x 760 mm, Jordison and Co. Ltd.,
His
Stationery Office, London, England,
© Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14635.
24
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Similarly staged photographs were published in the Air Ministry produced book,
including one in which
front gunner of a
flying
35
boat appears to be aiming his machine gun as though in mid flight (Figure 8). Aside
from the impracticality of taking such a photograph from outside of an aircraft mid
flight, the
exposed face and hands negate that possibility and it is the
Irvin jacket that serves to suggest that the photograph was taken mid flight. Similar
minor faults can be found in the multiple photographs that make up the poster
.36
flight
One photograph portrays a scene on an operational flight over Germany as
engineer checks his
with said engineer shown, wearing a Mae West life
preserver, flying helmet and parachute harness, while leaning over his instrument
panel in the side of the passageway between the
cockpit and navigato desk.37
However, the suggestion that this action scene was photographed mid air is
unplugged oxygen tube and disconnected microphone
contradicted by the
and headphone jack essential kit when flying at high altitude over hostile territory.
In both moving and stationary images, therefore, flying clothing played a pivotal role
activities to audiences and in lending images the appearance of
in identifying
action and authenticity.
Anonymous,
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1940 1945,
Lithograph, 492 x 354 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown, History Collection,
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand, GH016174.
37
Ibid.
35
36
25
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Figure 8:
Front Gunner of a Catalina. He must be incessantly watchful, though many
months may pass before he gets a Focke Wulf in his
His
Stationery Office, London, England,
in
Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand,
2018/152.6, 1942, p. 87,
Photographed by Liam Barnsdale, 7 September 2018.
26
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
When not used to imply aviators were airborne, flying clothing was often included in
propaganda material to symbolise its
readiness for action. One particular
fighter pilots in the Battle of
poster celebrating the victory of the Royal Air
38
few speech
Britain couples an extract from Prime Minister Winston
with a photograph of a Royal Air Force aviators. The poster depicts a group of
aviators, gazing upwards towards the misquotation of
speech set against
39
the background of a blue sky. This poster combined the skyward stares of the young
aviators with the flying helmets and goggles on their heads to insinuate their readiness
of action.40
The Battle of Britain was a protracted air battle between the air forces of Britain and Nazi Germany
during July October 1940. Preceded by the fall of France (May June 1940) and evolving into The
Blitz (September 1940 May 1941), The Battle of Britain was characterised by the German
38
Sealio
the wake of a string of devastating defeats for Britain and its
allies, represented a major victory for Britain. Accordingly, The Battle of Britain was, and still is,
widely celebrated in Britain as one of the most decisive moments in the Second World War, as the
unchecked westward advance across Europe was blunted.
39
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph, 635 x 1016 mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London, England, Published by His
Art.IWM PST 8774.
The aviators depicted in this poster were in reality a bomber crew from 58 Squadron, a fact betrayed
by the wings brevets on their chests. More information on the background of the aviators depicted
ow, held by the Royal Air Force
in this poster can be found in the documents of one ind
Museum Archive in the file:
Never Was So Much Owed By So Many To So Few, Royal
Air Force Museum Archive, London, England, B4246.
40
, op cit.
27
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Similar implications were created in a widely reproduced portrait of Pilot Officer
Keith Gillman (1920 1940), showing his smiling, skyward facing features framed by
portrait was seen as the perfect
flying helmet, mask, and goggles.
essence and not only appeared on the
encapsulation of Battle of Britain fighter
front covers of numerous pictorial magazines such as
but was also
second
featured in internationally distributed posters celebrating the
41
anniversary in 1942, two years after his death. Gillman was even adopted, with the
addition of a cigarette dangling precariously close to his oxygen mask, by Silver Fern
tobacco in newspaper advertisements (Figure 9) as an anonymous New Zealand
aviator, even though he was born in England.42
Figure 9:
Silver Fern,
Sons of New
Christchurch, New Zealand,
© Fairfax Media,
Sydney, Australia,
1 June 1943, p. 7.
Henry Thomas Hopkinson, Published by Edward G. Hutton, London,
Front Cover,
England, 31 August 1940.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, 1942, Lithograph, 500 x 381 mm,
Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown, History Collection, Museum of New Zealand Te
Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand, GH016095.
[The Battle for Britain August
Poster,
October 1940], Artist Unknown, 1942, Lithograph, 989 x 1497 mm, Manufacturer Unknown,
Distributed by The Press and Information Services of the British Embassy, Lisbon, Portugal,
Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14976.
42
1 June 1943, Christchurch, New Zealand,
Silve
p. 7.
41
28
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Other representations of Royal Air Force aviators, such as the poster
in the Ministry of
series (Figure 10), combined flying helmets with lifejackets to suggest that the aviators
43
setting off on a big
This staging would have been impractical since
were
the
flying helmets would have hindered their ability to hear King George VI
coverage of the event, titled,
King
(1895 1952) talking to them.
shows the pilots leaning forward, and one even lifting the ear
Visits Fighter
flap of his helmet, to hear the King speaking to them.44
The combination of Sidcot flying suits, Mae Wests, flying helmets, and parachute
harnesses were also used in other depictions of aviators to suggest their readiness for
action. A poster showing the crew of the Short Stirling bomber
depicted the
crew lined up as though waiting to climb through its entry hatch,
45
to take off for a raid over enemy
The suggestion of readiness,
clothing, is called into question by the fact that
supported primarily by the
not all crewmembers in the image were carrying parachutes, an indispensable piece
of equipment for any flight. Other representations of the naming ceremony during
story MacRoberts
which the photograph was taken, including the
Reply reveal the crew did indeed take off in the aircraft, but were unaccompanied
by others from their squadron, as would be expected for an operational flight, and
simply performed a low fly past for the cameras. 46 Each of these posters indicate that,
despite its impracticality when worn on the ground, flying clothing was regularly used
to symbolically authenticate images purporting to show Royal Air Force aviators
immediately prior to operational flights.
Artist Unknown, circa 1942,
Poster,
Lithograph, 380 x 507 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown, Air Force Museum of
New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2017/131.7.
44
4 May 1942, British Pathé, London, England,
1326.06.
45
, Author Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph,
Poster,
1014 x 762 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Published by Ministry of Supply, London, England,
Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14973.
46
6 November 1939, British Pathé, London, England,
1027.17.
43
29
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Figure 10:
Detail, Poster,
,
Artist Unknown, circa 1942, Lithograph, 380 x 507 mm,
Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown,
© Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2017/131.7,
Photographed by Liam Barnsdale, 7 September 2018.
30
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Not all representations of aviators purporting to be captured immediately prior to
operational flights relied solely on flying clothing for their appearance of activity.
Uniquely popular among representations of Royal Air Force aviators, particularly
fighter pilots, were images of the scramble pilots running to their aircraft in
response to an urgent call to action. Depictions of Royal Air Force aviators
scrambling for their aircraft featured across multiple media throughout the war,
and films including the opening
exemplified by Posters such as
scenes of both
and
.47 Numerous press photographs
taken by Royal Air Force photographers and distributed via the Ministry of
Information similarly promoted the scramble as a regular component of Royal Air
Force
exciting lives. In a pictorial story revealing a day in the life of an
in A Sweep by
Australian Spitfire squadron in England, reported by
an Australian Squadron the magazine
dedicated a half page to a
photograph of four pilots sprinting for their aircraft wearing Mae West life preserver
used the energy of the scramble to entice readers
(Figure 11).48
into reading beyond the front page, including a photograph of a Royal Air Force pilot
running wearing a Mae West between the bold title
in a Big
and caption
49
the hurry? See Page
In each case, the aviators were shown
running towards their aircraft, with the immediacy of their scramble reinforced by
their flying clothing, suggesting that their immediate future included operational flying.
Harold Forster, 1940, Lithograph, 506 x 764 mm, Manufacturer
Poster,
Unknown, Published by Ministry of Information, London, England, Imperial War Museum,
London, England, Art. IWM PST 14800.
Directed by Leslie Howard, 1942, D&P Studios, Denham, England.
op cit.
48
27 November 1941, British Pathé, London,
England, 1137.25.
heir planes, followed by the station terrier
47
Aeroplane Scrap Book 1943
Christchurch, New Zealand, 2010/074.1, Number 32, November 1942, p. 30.
49
London, England, Liddell Hart Centre for Military
London, England, MISC 64, 11 June 1942, p. 1.
31
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Figure 11:
Detail,
from their dispersal huts to their planes,
followed by the station terrier
The Continental Publishers and Distributors Ltd, London, England, in
Aeroplane Scrap Book 1943
By Rosemary
© Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand,
2010/074.1, Number 32, November 1942, p. 30,
Photographed by Liam Barnsdale, 7 September 2018.
purported environment, flying clothing characterised
Just as it defined a
aviators as experienced and hardy in numerous propaganda depictions. In their
with the RA newspaper recruitment advertisement series, the Royal Air Force
promoted a specific set of characteristics as being desirable in its aviators. One
with the
instalment published by
in January 1941 described
e sort of man who can rally a flagging forward
and
preferred applicants as
kind of back who seldom lets the attackers
and possessing
quickness of eye, the sureness of hand, the powers of endurance of the man who is
at games. 50
London, England,
Advertisement,
15 January 1941, p. 6.
50
32
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Others in the series featured large photographs or drawings of aviators to reinforce
such rhetoric. In one photo published in May 1941, depicted
RAF
oil stained, tousle haired, and clad in Irvin jacket with cigarette in one hand and flying
helmet in the other. The image of this experienced veteran merely reinforced the
written message, describing first class
as
sort that knows
and
[his] element in a
by instinct just how much he can ask from his
51
against
By depicting aviators in flying
scrap all the more so when
clothing alongside written characterisations, the Royal Air Force promoted flying
clothing as a visual symbol of said characteristics, which included bravery, professional
skill, and physical prowess.
Implications of hardiness and battle experience were echoed by artists such as
Cuthbert Orde (1888 1968) and William Rothenstein (1872 1945), who visited
Royal Air Force fighter and bomber airfields to produce their character studies of
numerous works included flying clothing not only
aviators. Ord and
as a reflection of the
location of production, but as a method of emphasising
the experience and weariness of the subjects.52 So successful was Rothenstein in this
War
Advisory Committee
venture that the Ministry of
recommended the purchase of his
portraits of RAF
and later
exhibited them alongside depictions of Royal Air Force subjects by Orde, Paul Nash
(1889 1946), Keith Henderson (1883 1982), and John Mansbridge (1901 1981) as
rapidly growing collection of war records 53
examples of
Newsreel stories such as
of the
similarly emphasised
flying clothing as a symbol of battle experience, as did officially produced photographs
such as
who Proved their Worth Heroes of Heligoland Air
Advertisement,
London, England, 14 May 1941, p. 7.
Makings of a First Class Pilot,
51
52
:
nt Pilot Who was Decorated for Gallantry while
Imperial War
Museum, London, England, Art.IWM ART LD 421.
Crayon, 200 x 501 mm, Imperial
War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM ART LD 5.
of the Battle of Britain Some of those
London,
England, 19 April 1941, pp. 518 519.
53
London, England, 13 July 1940, p. 58.
,
March 1940, p. 5.
, London, England, 14
London, England, 24 August
1940, p. 6.
33
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(Figure 12).54 Both photographers used flying clothing not only to imply the depicted
readiness for battle as in
George VI Meets Pilots of Fighter
but as evidence of their recent return from battle.
of the
stated unequivocally that the aviators depicted being inspected by King
55
George VI were
in their flying kit, just back from flights over
Accordingly, even in cases where no explicit written or verbal reference was made to
characteristics, flying clothing visually indicated that the depicted aviators had
recently returned from combat, thereby framing them as battle hardened heroes
taking an active role in the conflict.
Figure 12:
who Proved their Worth Heroes of Heligoland Air
Charles Gwynn and John Hammerton, Editors,
The Amalgamated Press, London, England,
© The Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand,
2011/256.2, Number 11, 11 March 1940, pp. 420 421,
Photographed by Liam Barnsdale, 7 September 2018.
British Pathé, London, England, 6 November 1939,
54
1027.17.
r Worth
Charles Gwynn and John
Hammerton, Editors,
, The Amalgamated Press,
London, England, The Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand,
2011/256.2, Number 11, 11 March, 1940, pp. 420 421.
55
British Pathé, London, England, 6 November 1939,
1027.17.
34
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Conclusion
This article has shown that the Ministry of Information, Air Ministry, and Royal Air
Force extensively used flying clothing in propaganda material such as posters, books,
films, and photographs disseminated during the Second World War. This served
three purposes: to identify Royal Air Force aviators, to fascinate the audience with
work, and to characterise aviators as either battle ready or
Royal Air Force
already embattled. Such usage relied on an assumption that the British public
understood the connection between Royal Air Force flying clothing and the aviators
who wore it. During the course of the war, the frequency of visual material such as
posters, feature films, newsreels, and other media featuring aviators wearing the Sidcot
flying suit and Irvin jackets, Mae West life preserver, and flying helmets gave the
British public extensive exposure to the image of aviators wearing flying clothing.
The underlying messages and purpose of the frequent depictions of Royal Air Force
aviators in visual material during the Second World War varied, such as promoting
enlistment, factory production, or scrap donation. For example, the poster
featured aviators as a means by which to encourage viewers to join the service,
aimed to more broadly encourage public
while the book,
sympathy for Royal Air Force aviators. All visual representations considered during
this research presented a favourable portrayal of aviators and their work and thus
served to raise their profile in the eyes of the audience. Therefore, despite different
underlying messages, the visual representations analysed in this article were connected
war
by a secondary objective to promote the Royal Air Force and its role in
effort. The repeated use of flying clothing in the visual representations examined in
this article suggests that this clothing served as a valuable symbol in the pursuit of this
secondary objective.
The frequency of flying clothing in the selected British visual material examined here
suggests that its use was far from accidental. This inference is supported by the nature
of these appearances, with depictions of aviators in flying clothing regularly included
to sensationalise or add realism to the material. Given that the majority of these images
were staged, the inclusion of flying clothing in visual material cannot have been borne
out of practical necessity. Furthermore, in some cases such as the poster,
the wearing of flying clothing by the aviators was not only an
unnecessary one, but a hinderance to them.56 Accordingly, it is argued that the images
produced by the the Ministry of Information, Air Ministry, and Royal Air Force
featuring flying clothing were more than simply reflections of reality. Rather, they were
carefully orchestrated political images designed to encourage public recognition of,
interest in, and appreciation of Royal Air Force aviators and their work.
56
35
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Bibliography
Primary Sources: Unpublished
Never Was So Much Owed By
So Many To So Few, Royal Air Force Museum Archive, London, England, B4246.
Mass Observation Archive, The University of Sussex Special
Collections, The University of Sussex, Falmer, Sussex, England, Report No. 323, 5
August 1940, p. 3.
Peirse, Richard,
England, H 87/1, 15 October 1941.
Storrar, James,
England, X005 4835/002, 1940.
Royal Air Force Museum Archive, London,
Royal Air Force Museum Archive, London,
Primary Sources: Advertisements
Advertisement,
You Through I
Minutes of Hero Worship Have a
No. 1 to See
London, England, 3 October 1940, p. 3.
with the RAF: Intercepted and
Advertisement,
England, 15 January 1941, p. 6.
with the RAF:
the Makings of a First Class P
Advertisement,
London, England, 14 May 1941, p. 7.
Advertisement, Silver Fern,
Sons of New
Christchurch, New Zealand, 1 June 1943, p. 7.
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London,
The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Primary Sources: Articles
in a Big
Military Archives,
1942, p. 1.
London, England, Liddell Hart Centre for
College London, London, England, MISC 64, 11 June
by War Artists: Records of Historical
England, 24 August 1940, p. 6.
London,
Artists: Salaried Posts and Work on
England, 14 March 1940, p. 5.
London,
Primary Sources: Artwork
Front Cover,
Henry Thomas Hopkinson, Published by Edward G.
Hutton, London, England, 31 August 1940.
who Proved their Worth Heroes of Heligoland Air
Photograph,
in C. Gwynn and J. Hammerton, Editors,
The Amalgamated Press, London, England, The Air Force Museum of New
Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2011/256.2, Number 11, 11 March 1940, pp.
420 421.
Orde, Cuthbert,
A Czech Sergeant Pilot Who Was Decorated for
Gallantry while Flying with the Royal Air
19 September 1940, Chalk, 315 x
486 mm, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM ART LD 421.
Officer J V C
1940, Sanguine Crayon, 200 x
Rothenstein, William,
501 mm, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM ART LD 5.
Primary Sources: Books
Anonymous,
1942.
His
Stationery Office, London, England,
Anonymous,
1942.
His
Stationery Office, London, England,
Johnson, James E.,
The Reprint Society, London, England, 1958.
37
The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Milligan, Spike,
England, 1971.
Michael Joseph, London,
Primary Sources: Cartoons
Prune says he
want a Christmas Tree this year, he
Hooper, William,
darn well is
Air Ministry, London, England, p. 1, Liddell Hart
College London, London, England, MISC 21/9,
Centre for Military Archives,
Number 10, January 1942, p. 1.
Through: Daily Round, Common
Lee, Joseph Lee,
London, England, British Cartoon Archive, Canterbury, Kent, England, 5
February 1942, JL2029.
Primary Sources: Feature Films
Directed by Gerald Sanger, 1940, British Movietone News, New York,
New York, United States, Imperial War Museum, London, England, UKY 263.
Directed by John Boulting, 1945, Royal Air Force Film Production
Unit, Iver Heath, England.
Directed by Harry Watt, 1941, Crown Film Unit, London,
England.
Directed by Leslie Howard, 1942, D&P Studios, Denham,
England).
Directed by Michael Powell, 1939, Brian Desmond Hurst and
Adrian Brunel, London Films, Denham, England.
Directed by Carol Reed, 1944, Two Cities Films, London, England.
London, England.
Directed by Anthony Asquith, 1945, Two Cities Films,
38
The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Primary Sources: Magazines
Face of the Fighter Pilot: Victors of the Battle of Britain
Orde, Cuthbert,
Some of those Who Won the Fight Against the Winged Invaders,
London, England, 19 April 1941, pp. 518 519.
for
Odhams Press, London,
Aeroplane Scrap Book
England, Unknown Page Number, in
By Rosemary Arnold Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch,
1943
New Zealand, 2010/074.1.
Rothenstein, William,
Air Force Types Drawn by Sir William
London, England, 13 July 1940, p. 58.
from their dispersal huts to their planes, followed by the station terrier
The Continental Publishers and Distributors Ltd, London,
Aeroplane Scrap
England, Number 32, November 1942, p. 30, in
Book 1943
By Rosemary
Air Force Museum of New Zealand,
Christchurch, New Zealand, 2010/074.1.
Primary Sources: Newsreels
Sweep by an Australian
Pathé, London, England, 1137.25.
of the
England, 1027.17.
27 November 1941, British
6 November 1939, British Pathé, London,
Goes to
Museum, London, England, WPN 135.
6 December 1943, Imperial War
in Flying
London, England, 1145.28.
18 January 1945, British Pathé,
King Visits Fighter
England, 1326.06.
4 May 1942, British Pathé, London,
39
The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Primary Sources: Posters
Poster,
[The Battle for Britain
August October 1940], Artist Unknown, 1942, Lithograph, 989 x 1497 mm,
Manufacturer Unknown, Distributed by The Press and Information Services of the
British Embassy, Lisbon, Portugal, Imperial War Museum, London, England,
Art.IWM PST 14976.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939
1945, Lithograph, 378 x 1522 mm, Printed by Stafford and Company, Netherfield,
Nottingham, England, Published by His Majesty s Stationery Office, London,
England, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14261.
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Poster,
Lithograph, 490 x 740 mm, Printed by Brent Press Ltd, London, England, Published
by His
Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial War Museum,
London, England, Art. IWM PST 13955.
Harold Forster, 1940, Lithograph, 506 x 764 mm,
Poster,
Manufacturer Unknown, Published by Ministry of Information, London, England,
Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art. IWM PST 14800.
Artist Unknown, circa 1939
Poster,
1945, Lithograph, 556 x 830 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown,
Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14222.
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Poster,
Lithograph, 502 x 753 mm, Printed by Fosh and Cross Ltd, London, England,
Published by Ministry of Aircraft Production, London, England, and His
Stationery Office, London, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art. IWM
PST 14262.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph and Letterpress,
506 x 760 mm, Printed by Jordison and Co. Ltd., London, England, His
Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial War Museum, London, England,
Art.IWM PST 14635.
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph and Letterpress,
Poster,
504 x 761 mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London, England, Published by Air
Ministry, London, England, and His
Stationery Office, London, England,
Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14642.
40
The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa
1939 1945, Lithograph, 505 x 760 mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London, England,
Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial War
Published by His
Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 13953.
Artist Unknown, circa
Poster,
1942, Lithograph, 380 x 507 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown,
Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand, 2017/131.7.
Artist Unknown, 1942, Lithograph,
Poster,
500 x 381 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown, History Collection,
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand,
GH016095.
Artist Unknown, circa
Poster,
1939 1945, Lithograph, 635 x 1016 mm, Printed by J. Weiner Ltd., London,
Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial
England, Published by His
War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 8774.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1940
1945, Lithograph, 492 x 354 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor Unknown,
History Collection, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New
Zealand, GH016174.
Artist Unknown,
Poster,
circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 508 x 748 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Distributor
Unknown, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST 14220.
Author Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Poster,
Lithograph, 1014 x 762 mm, Manufacturer Unknown, Published by Ministry of
Supply, London, England, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art.IWM PST
14973.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 488
x 746 mm, Printed by Fosh and Cross Ltd., London, England, Published by His
Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial War Museum, London,
England, Art. IWM PST 14435.
Poster,
Owen Miller, circa 1939 1945, Lithograph, 507 x 762 mm,
Printed by Fosh and Cross Ltd., London, England, Published by Ministry of Aircraft
Stationery Office, London,
Production, London, England, and His
England, Imperial War Museum, London, England, Art. IWM PST 14276.
41
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph, 506 x 762 mm, Printed by J Weiner Ltd, London, England, Published
by Ministry of Labour and National Service, London, England, and His
Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial War Museum, London, England,
Art.IWM PST 14423.
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Poster,
Lithograph, 508 x 760 mm, Printed by J Weiner Ltd, London, England, Published
by Ministry of Labour and National Service, London, England, and His
Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial War Museum, London, England,
Art.IWM PST 14277.
Poster,
Artist Unknown, circa 1939 1945,
Lithograph, 507 x 760 mm, Printed by J Weiner Ltd, London, England, Published
by Ministry of Labour and National Service, London, England, and His
Stationery Office, London, England, Imperial War Museum, London, England,
Art.IWM PST 14032.
Secondary Sources: Articles
Function of the
Lasswell, Harold D.,
The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, United States, Volume 38,
Number 3, April 1928, pp. 258 268.
Mackenzie, Simon P.,
Target: The Air Ministry, RAF Bomber Command and
Taylor & Francis, Milton,
Feature Film Propaganda, 1941
England, Volume 43, Number 2, October 1997, pp. 43 59.
David Welch, Editors,
, ABC CLIO, Santa Barbara, California, United States, 2003, pp.
317 323.
Secondary Sources: Books
Cormack, Andrew,
England, 1990.
Osprey Publishing, London,
Jowett, Garth S. and
Victoria,
Publications, Thousand Oaks, California, United States, 2006.
42
Sage
The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Marlin, Randal,
Ontario, Canada, 2002.
Broadview Press, Toronto,
The British Library, London,
Welch, David,
England, 2013.
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The Journal of Dress History
Volume 4, Issue 3, Autumn 2020
Copyright © 2020 Liam Barnsdale
Email: liamzl3lb@gmail.com
Liam Barnsdale recently completed his Master of Arts in History at Victoria
University of Wellington in New Zealand. His dissertation, titled,
examines depictions of Royal Air Force personnel in
multiple media during the Second World War, identifying and analysing the symbols
and characteristics systematically used in these depictions. Since April 2020, Liam has
been studying towards a PhD at The University of Queensland, Australia. His
doctoral thesis will examine secondary school cadet training in Australia and New
Zealand during the Second World War from the perspective of those undergoing the
training, using oral history to compare differing experiences across national, regional,
and socio economic boundaries.
44