Holiday Warning - War Trains Come Before Holiday Trains

A text poster in red on cream with an orange border, under the banner of the four railway companies, says holiday train services will be limited in August and tells readers to stay at home. The tell is the closing line, 'You may be stranded if you travel', which stages a personal harm to secure compliance.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Fear appeal

Date

1939

Period

Second World War

Made by

British Railways (GWR, LMS, LNER and SR joint notice); printed by Jas. Truscott & Son, Ltd., London and Tonbridge

Region

Western and Central Europe

Country

United Kingdom

Medium

Poster

Issuer type

Corporation

Regime

Churchill Government

Leader

Winston Churchill

Audience

Domestic public

Purpose

Mobilize or secure compliance

Theme

Home front

Event

World War II

Regime

Churchill wartime government

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; hosted by owner decision (British wartime print, no government imprint)
British Railways (GWR, LMS, LNER, SR); printed by Jas. Truscott & Son, Ltd. National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-219.

HOLIDAY WARNING

WAR TRAINS
come before
HOLIDAY TRAINS

During the August holiday
limited services only
will be run.

STAY AT HOME

You may be stranded
if you travel.

[logos:] GWR  LMS  BRITISH RAILWAYS  LNER  SR
[imprint:] No. 68.  JAS. TRUSCOTT & SON, LTD., LONDON & TONBRIDGE