---
title: 'Beware: Never give away the movements of H.M. Ships'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/uk-beware-hitler-ear-hm-ships-1939/
description: A half-face caricature of Hitler, with an oversized ear, peers round a black bar above the word BEWARE and a four-line rhyme telling seafarers never
section: Collection
---

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3. Beware: Never give away the movements of H.M. Ships

[![Beware: Never give away the movements of H.M. Ships, 1939 UK poster: A half-face caricature of Hitler, with an oversized ear](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/uk-beware-hitler-ear-hm-ships-1939.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/uk-beware-hitler-ear-hm-ships-1939.jpg)

# Beware: Never give away the movements of H.M. Ships

A half-face caricature of Hitler, with an oversized ear, peers round a black bar above the word BEWARE and a four-line rhyme telling seafarers never to speak or write of cargo, origin, destination or sailing time. The tell for name-calling is the exaggerated caricature standing for the enemy; the tell for fear-appeal is the listening ear implying that careless talk is overheard.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Name-calling](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/name-calling/) [Fear appeal](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/fear-appeal/)

## Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
BEWARE

Whether alone or in a crowd,
Never write or say aloud,
What you're loading, whence you hail,
Where you're bound for, when you sail.

-ABOVE ALL NEVER GIVE AWAY
THE MOVEMENTS OF H.M. SHIPS

Printed for H.M. Stationery Office by G. F. Tomkin Ltd., London, E.11.
```

[← The Battle for Fuel - Use Up Coal Dust](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/uk-battle-for-fuel-use-up-coal-dust-1939/) [Beware the Squander Bug →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/uk-beware-the-squander-bug-1939/)

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