The Royal Air Force Patrols Arctic Waters
A photograph of two aircrew standing on the wing of a Northrop float-plane on open water, with text on Coastal Command patrols against U-boats. It is largely descriptive; the closest honest technique fit is glittering generalities, from the 'For Freedom' emblem, with the hardship framing ('hard and skilful flying') offered as a virtue claim rather than a measurement.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- British government 'For Freedom' picture series (no issuing department or printer named on the sheet)
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Mixed
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Theme
- War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- 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
- Held by NARA, Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
British government 'For Freedom' series (issuer not named on sheet). National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-172n.
Text on the object
THE ROYAL AIR FORCE PATROLS ARCTIC WATERS THIS "NORTHROP" FLOAT-PLANE is attached to a Royal Air Force Squadron of Coastal Command. It operates in Arctic waters, hunting for U-boats, which attempt to make the passage from Norway, and watching for enemy surface raiders. Patrols in these Northern waters entail great physical discomfort and demand hard and skilful flying. The flyers, besides having to contend with the enemy, must also master the elements of snow, sleet, storms and heavy fog. [emblem:] FOR FREEDOM [sheet mark:] E.D.3.
