Penalty for disregarding D-Day secrecy: Death for your comrades

Abram Games was the official war poster artist during the Second World War. Installed in the War Office Public Relations Directorate in 1941, he was employed to craft posters communicating important messages to soldiers and civilians alike.

Games had a striking style and worked with a principle of 'maximum meaning, minimum means'. His priority was delivering ideas in a way that would be understood by all.

While all his wartime posters were of equal relevance, some of the most distinct are those which communicate the impact of idle chatter about operational matters.

Authorised and printed on 26 May 1944, this example appeared across barracks in the final few days before D-Day (6 June 1944). It provided a stark reminder that disclosing secrets could jeopardise one of the war's most significant operations, and equally that 'you' might be responsible for the death of your comrades.

The full body of Abram Games's wartime work is on display in The Art of Persuasion at the National Army Museum in Chelsea until 24 November 2019.