---
title: S.O.S. Careless talk costs lives and ships
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/uk-sos-careless-talk-lives-ships-1939/
description: A type-only poster spells S.O.S. in large letters with the Morse dots and dashes laid over them, above four lines warning against talk of ships.
section: Collection
---

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3. S.O.S. Careless talk costs lives and ships

[![S.O.S. Careless talk costs lives and ships, 1939 UK poster: A type-only poster spells S.O.S. in large letters with the Morse](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/uk-sos-careless-talk-lives-ships-1939.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/uk-sos-careless-talk-lives-ships-1939.jpg)

# S.O.S. Careless talk costs lives and ships

A type-only poster spells S.O.S. in large letters with the Morse dots and dashes laid over them, above four lines warning against talk of ships, crews or harbours in the bar or the barber's. The fear appeal is the closing line, which ties idle talk to lost lives and ships and to the 'lurking submarine'.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Fear appeal](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/fear-appeal/)

## Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
S.O.S.

Never in the bar or barber's
Talk of ships or crews or harbours
Idle words - things heard or seen
Help the lurking submarine

Careless talk costs lives and ships

AG 6
PRINTED FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE BY LOWE & BRYDONE PRINTERS LTD., LONDON, N.W.10 51-8120
```

[← 'Someone forgot that food costs lives' (British food-waste poster)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/uk-someone-forgot-food-costs-lives-1939/) [Speed Up Loading and Unloading →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/uk-speed-up-loading-and-unloading-1939/)

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