The Dangerous Job of Mine-Laying
A photograph shows sailors in oilskins handling large naval mines on a ship's deck, under a 'For Freedom' Union Jack mark, with a caption calling them 'brave men' who protect Britain's shores. The tell for glittering-generalities is the virtue label 'brave men' and the 'For Freedom' tag offered alongside a factual description of the task.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1939
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- British government wartime poster series 'For Freedom' (issuing department and printer not stated; series mark and sheet code 'E.D.4.' only)
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Foreign public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Theme
- War and the military
- 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; no rights statement on the sheet; hosted by owner decision
British wartime poster series 'For Freedom' (issuer not stated). National Archives and Records Administration, 44-PF-172e.
Text on the object
E.D.4. [logo: Union Jack] FOR FREEDOM THE DANGEROUS JOB OF MINE-LAYING THESE BRAVE MEN risk their lives every time they slip out of harbour, under the cover of night, to lay their mines around Britain's coastline or at the approaches to enemy shores. The mines are pushed to the stern of the ship and then laid in the sea. These minefields protect Britain's shores by keeping away enemy surface craft and submarines, and when they are laid in enemy waters, they help to destroy enemy shipping.
