'He was a Perfectly Normal Healthy British Baby But -' (Ministry of Supply)
Five cartoon faces run from a baby with a dummy to a man shown with Hitler's hairstyle and moustache, each stage tied to lateness, early finishing and unexcused absence from work. The tell is the label: the final caption says the worker 'grew more like Hitler', attaching the enemy leader's name and face to ordinary absenteeism.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Ministry of Supply (Ministry of Supply No. 73)
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Labor, Home front
- 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)
Ministry of Supply, undated (WWII). US National Archives, NAID 44266576 (44-PF-204).
Text on the object
He was a perfectly normal, Healthy British Baby but— by being LATE IN STARTING EARLY IN FINISHING and ABSENT FROM WORK WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE he grew more like HITLER every day Ministry of Supply No. 73.
