Content note: Shows a photograph of dead soldiers lying in barbed wire, used to warn against careless talk. This object is shown as it was published. Why
He Talked - They Died
A red-tinted face looms over a small grey photograph of an open mouth and a larger red circle showing bodies tangled in barbed wire, above the words 'He talked - they died'. The tell for fear-appeal is the single causal claim that one person's talk killed others, shown with a death image and no figures or case named.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Artist Abram Games; printed in England by Henry Hildesley Ltd, London (51/3459); sponsoring ministry not named on the sheet
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Own forces
- 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
- Held by NARA, Unrestricted; UK wartime publication (artist Abram Games), hosted by owner decision
Abram Games; printed by Henry Hildesley Ltd. National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-203.
Text on the object
HE TALKED - THEY DIED [artist:] A. GAMES. [imprint:] PRINTED IN ENGLAND by Henry Hildesley Ltd. London. 51/3459
