New air raid warning system
Chart poster in blue, red and white with a three-column table: signal given, what it means, and what to do. Blue Warning, Red Danger and White All Clear rows pair siren symbols with drawings of aircraft and bombs. The technique is faint, with instruction first and a fear-appeal only in the Caution line about the first signal being red if enemy planes arrive unseen.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- U.S. Office of Civilian Defense
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Home front, Security and surveillance
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 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 Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
U.S. Office of Civilian Defense. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1398 (NAID 515062).
Text on the object
NEW AIR RAID WARNING SYSTEM WHEN SIGNAL IS GIVEN IT MEANS YOU DO THIS BLUE WARNING STEADY BLAST ENEMY PLANES HEADED IN YOUR DIRECTION 1. All lights blacked out, unless specifically exempted. 2. Autos continue, with lights on low beam. 3. Pedestrians may walk. 4. Workers remain at jobs. 5. Civilian Defense mobilizes. RED DANGER SERIES OF SHORT OR WAVERING BLASTS BOMBING EXPECTED 1. Traffic stops. 2. All lights blacked out, except authorized emergency lights. 3. Take shelter. BLUE WARNING STEADY BLAST ENEMY PLANES HAVE PASSED BUT MAY RETURN 1. All lights continue blacked out, unless specifically exempted. 2. Leave shelter and resume activities. 3. Resume driving, with lights on low beam. 4. Civilian Defense remains mobilized. WHITE ALL CLEAR PUBLIC RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT OR OTHER DISTINCTIVE AUDIBLE SIGNAL APPROVED FOR LOCAL USE DANGER APPEARS TO BE OVER Blackout ends. CAUTION! If enemy planes get too close before discovery, the first audible signal will be RED! Listen closely! REMEMBER! Check your local regulations and observe them! APPROVED BY THE U. S. OFFICE OF CIVILIAN DEFENSE OCD PUBLICATION 7015-1 [imprint: U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1943-O-534655] [CD triangle emblem]
