Every Man to His Job - A Square Peg in a Square Hole (The Use of Tradesmen in the Army)
A square wooden peg set into a square hole, with text on the use of tradesmen in the Army and a pointer to Army Council Instruction No. 1937 of 1942. Mostly informational; the closest taxonomy fit is glittering-generalities, as the idiom 'every man to his job' frames reassignment as the proper fit, while the sheet's own text says qualifications may not be needed.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- War Office, printed for HMSO by Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd, London; artist Frank Newbould
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Own forces
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- War and the military, Labor
- 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; UK print 1939-45; hosted by owner decision
War Office, printed for HMSO by Lowe & Brydone Printers Ltd; artist Frank Newbould. National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-163.
Text on the object
EVERY MAN TO HIS JOB THE USE OF TRADESMEN IN THE ARMY There is always a need for soldier-tradesmen of certain types. If YOU possess qualifications which cannot be utilised in the Army, or which are not needed at present, you are doing your proper job as a soldier until the war is won. If YOUR technical qualifications and experience are needed in the Army, and you are not yet a soldier-tradesman, then you MAY BE a square peg in a round hole. Your qualifications may be better than you think! Find the answer by asking at your Orderly Room for information about Army Council Instruction No. 1937 of 1942. If your particular trade qualifications are of the kind which may be required you will be interviewed by a technical Officer. You will then be told by the War Office whether you can better serve the War effort as a soldier or a soldier-tradesman. A SQUARE PEG IN A SQUARE HOLE [signature:] FRANK NEWBOULD [imprint:] PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY LOWE & BRYDONE PRINTERS LTD. LONDON. N.W.10. 51-2846
