We Shall Not Fail... ("We cut the coal." Winston Churchill, 31 October 1942)

A photographic portrait of Winston Churchill fills the upper left over a crowd of men in a hall, above a long red quotation dated 31 October 1942. The quotation lists fighter pilots, submariners, Eighth Army soldiers and merchant seamen, then gives the reader the line 'We cut the coal': the prime minister's name vouches for the message (testimonial) and the service roles lend their prestige to coal mining (transfer).

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

TestimonialTransfer

Date

1942

Period

Second World War

Made by

Ministry of Fuel and Power; printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Multi Machine Plates Ltd., London

Region

Western and Central Europe

Country

United Kingdom

Medium

Poster

Issuer type

State

Regime

Churchill Government

Leader

Winston Churchill

Audience

Domestic public

Purpose

Mobilize or secure compliance

Themes

Home front, Labor

Event

World War II

Regime

Churchill wartime government

Leader

Winston Churchill

Source

Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are

Source

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026

Rights

Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
Ministry of Fuel and Power / H.M. Stationery Office, 1942. U.S. National Archives, RG 44.

“We shall not fail, and then some day, when children ask: What did you do to win this inheritance for us and to make our name so respected among men?” one will say: “I was a Fighter Pilot,” another will say: “I was in the Submarine Service,” another: “I marched with the Eighth Army,” a fourth will say: “None of you could have lived without the convoys and the Merchant Seamen,” and you, in your turn will say, with equal pride and with equal right: “WE CUT THE COAL.”
Winston Churchill
OCTOBER 31st, 1942
ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF FUEL AND POWER
PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY MULTI MACHINE PLATES LTD. LONDON E.C.4. 51-2945