Going Ashore? Keep what you know to yourself (English, Greek, Dutch, Norwegian, French)
A cartoon parrot in a swastika-marked cap perches over a warning to seamen not to discuss ships, crews or cargoes, repeated in Greek, Dutch, Norwegian and French. The warning rests on the stakes ('the safety of men's lives, perhaps your own') and the parrot stands for the enemy who listens.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- British government (issuing department not stated); printed for HMSO 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
- Mixed
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Security and surveillance, 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
- Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
Crown copyright (UK government), 1939-1945; U.S. National Archives, NAID 44266536, Local Identifier 44-PF-190.
Text on the object
GOING ASHORE? Be careful to whom you talk and what you say. On no account discuss the movements of ships, crews or cargoes. You are in a position of trust. The safety of men's lives - perhaps your own - may depend on how well you can keep what you know to yourself ΕΧΕΤΕ ΑΔΕΙΑΝ ΕΞΟΔΟΥ; Προσέξατε σὲ ποιὸν ὁμιλεῖτε καὶ τί τοῦ λέγετε. Ποτὲ μὴ συζητεῖτε τὰς κινήσεις πλοίων, πληρωμάτων ἢ φορτίων. Κατέχετε θέσεις ἐμπιστευτικάς. Ἡ ἀσφάλεια τῆς ζωῆς πολλῶν — ἴσως καὶ τῆς ἰδικῆς σας ἀκόμη — ἐξαρτᾶται ἀπὸ τὸν τρόπον κατὰ τὸν ὁποῖον κρατᾶτε μυστικὰ ὅσα ξέρετε. GAAT GE AAN LAND? Wees voorzichtig met wat ge zegt en met wie ge praat. Spreek in geen geval over de beweging van schepen, bemanningen en vrachten. Ge bekleedt een positie van vertrouwen. De veiligheid van menschenlevens - wellicht uw eigen - kan afhangen van de bewaring van de geheimen die ge kent. LANDLOV? Vær forsiktig med hvem du snakker til og med hva du sier. Snak ikke under noen omstendighet om skipsfart, mannskap eller last. Husk på at du har en betrodd stilling. Husk også på at mange menneskers velferd - kanskje din egen - kan bero på at du holder tett med hva du vet. VOUS DESCENDEZ A TERRE? Prenez garde à qui vous parlez et à ce que vous dites. Sous aucun prétexte, ne discutez les mouvements des navires, des équipages ou des cargaisons. Vous êtes à un poste de confiance. La sécurité des hommes, leur vie - la vôtre peut-être - peuvent dépendre de la manière dont vous gardez pour vous ce que vous pouvez savoir. PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY FOSH & CROSS LTD., LONDON (51-8591)
Going ashore? Be careful to whom you talk and what you say. On no account discuss the movements of ships, crews or cargoes. You are in a position of trust. The safety of men's lives - perhaps your own - may depend on how well you can keep what you know to yourself. Greek panel: 'Do you have shore leave? Take care whom you talk to and what you tell him. Never discuss the movements of ships, crews or cargoes. You hold positions of trust. The safety of the lives of many - perhaps even your own - depends on the way you keep secret whatever you know.' The Dutch, Norwegian and French panels are renderings of the same warning (headings: 'Are you going ashore?', 'Shore leave?', 'Are you going ashore?').
