That Kind of Talk Sinks Ships
A photograph shows a dockside man in a flat cap telling a barmaid, in a speech balloon, which ship is loading and where it will sail. The red headline links careless talk to sunk ships (fear appeal), and the ordinary pub setting and workers present the leak as something any plain person might do (plain folks).
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- H.M. Stationery Office (printed for); printed by Greycaine Ltd., Watford and London
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Security and surveillance, 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)
H.M. Stationery Office, printed by Greycaine, 1939-1945. US National Archives (NARA) WWII Foreign Posters, 44-PF series.
Text on the object
YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE STUFF WE LOADED ON THE OLD ATAHUALPA TODAY. SHE'S SAILING NEXT TIDE - CAPETOWN THEY SAY THAT KIND OF TALK SINKS SHIPS Never mention sailing dates, cargoes or destinations to anybody. Printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Greycaine Limited, Watford and London. 51. 830
