The Enemy May Use Gas: Take Cover When the Siren Sounds

A text-only sheet in English, Sinhala and Tamil columns, each headed by the Department of Civil Defence 'ARP Ceylon' badge, states that the enemy may use gas and tells readers to take cover when the siren sounds. The tell for fear-appeal is the threat of gas attack paired with the single protective action; it is an instruction sheet and shows no imagery.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Fear appeal

Date

1939

Period

Second World War

Made by

Department of Civil Defence, Ceylon (printed by Maha-Bodhi Press)

Region

South Asia

Country

Ceylon

Medium

Poster

Issuer type

State

Regime

Ceylon Colonial Administration

Leader

No single regime or leader

Audience

Domestic public

Purpose

Warn or inform

Themes

Home front, Security and surveillance, War and the military

Event

World War II

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

Held by NARA, Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
Department of Civil Defence, Ceylon (printed by Maha-Bodhi Press). National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-751.

DEPARTMENT OF [ARP CEYLON badge] CIVIL DEFENCE
THE ENEMY
MAY
USE
GAS
TAKE COVER WHEN THE
SIREN SOUNDS.
[imprint:] Maha-Bodhi Press

[Sinhala column:] සතුරා විෂවායු පාවිච්චි කරන්ට පුළුවන. අනතුරු හඟවන තලාහඹ ඇසෙන කල්හි ආරක්ෂක ස්ථානයට යන්න.
[Translation: The enemy may use poison gas. When the warning siren is heard, go to a place of safety.]

[Tamil column:] பொது ஜன பா(துகாப்புப் பகுதி)
சத்துரு விஷப்புகை உபயோகிக்கலாம்
ஊதுகுழல் சப்திக்கும் போது ஒதுங்கிக் கொள்க
[Translation: The enemy may use poison smoke. When the horn sounds, take shelter.]