Seeing It Through (Woman fire fighter)
A tribute poster issued under the London Transport roundel: a uniformed woman of the National Fire Service (badge 'NFS London') at the wheel of a vehicle, with a verse of thanks. The tell for glittering generalities is the verse's praise terms ('bravely', 'master of a trying trade', 'you carry on'), which are virtue words with no figures or stated task, and the poster asks for no action beyond appreciation. It is a morale and gratitude piece for the home front, not a call to act.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1944
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- London Transport (roundel), printed by The Baynard Press; artist Eric Kennington (signed EHK 44); verse by A. P. Herbert
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Corporation
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Reassure
- Themes
- Home front, 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 wartime publication, hosted by owner decision
London Transport; artist Eric Kennington; verse A. P. Herbert; printed by The Baynard Press, National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-384e.
Text on the object
SEEING IT THROUGH Thank you, fire fighters, harnessing your hoses, Busy at your pumps, or patiently at play. Once upon a time we used to throw you roses: You don't see quite such a cloud of them today. Some of us remember the blitz and the burning, The black-faced force in the red and the blue, St. Paul's in peril and the Hun returning, The tanks all dry and the night half through. When they sound the sirens, some of us are sleeping, Some of us turn over, some of us complain, But you are on the job still, we are in your keeping, And one fine night we'll be glad of you again. A. P. Herbert [imprint:] 144-123 S-1500. 42625-THE BAYNARD PRESS
