A British Tank Attack in the Western Desert - Back Them Up!
A painted British tank with a Union Jack on its hull fires across the desert past a burning German-marked tank, with more British tanks behind, under the slogan 'Back Them Up!'. The tell for card-stacking is that only the British success is shown, with no British losses; for transfer, the flag on the lead tank attaches national symbolism to the armoured force the viewer is asked to support through work.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- UK government ('Back Them Up!' series; issuer inferred); printed in England by Fosh & Cross 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
- War and the military, Home front
- 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
- Public domain basis stated by NARA as Unrestricted; UK wartime poster, hosted by owner decision
UK government ('Back Them Up!' series; issuer inferred); printed in England by Fosh & Cross Ltd., London. National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-91g.
Text on the object
A British tank attack in the Western Desert BACK THEM UP! [imprint:] PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY FOSH & CROSS LTD., LONDON. (51-2400)
