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Group of nine Churchill-related items, highlighted by the British government’s June 1940 civilian defense leaflet, “If the Invader Comes: What to Do—and How to Do It.” Issued by the Ministry of Information in cooperation with the War Office and the Ministry of Home Security, the two-sided leaflet, 8.25 x 10.75, prepares the public for a German invasion: “Yet the ordinary men and women of the civilian population will also have their part to play.” Warning that civilians in Poland, Holland, and Belgium had been taken by surprise, it urges readers to study its instructions and be prepared to act. Its seven rules encompass:
1. Stay put: “If the Germans come, by parachute, aeroplane or ship, you must remain where you are. The order is ‘Stay put’.” Civilians are instructed to leave only when ordered to evacuate, keeping roads clear for British forces.
2. Reject rumors and verify orders: “Do not believe rumours and do not spread them.” Readers are told to confirm instructions with familiar policemen or Air Raid Precautions wardens and to “Use your common sense.”
3. Report suspicious activity promptly: “Go quickly to the nearest authority and give him the facts.” Reports should include the precise time, place, and observations.
4. Deny supplies and information to the enemy: “Do not give any German anything. Do not tell him anything.” The leaflet directs civilians to hide food, bicycles, and maps, protect gasoline, and disable vehicles when not in use.
5. Assist the armed forces: “Be ready to help the military in any way.” Roads should be blocked only upon orders from military or Local Defence Volunteers authorities.
6. Prepare workplaces to resist attack: “In factories and shops, all managers and workmen should organise some system now by which a sudden attack can be resisted.” The accompanying text stresses establishing a chain of command and preventing suspicious strangers from entering.
7. Put country first: “Think before you act. But think always of your country before you think of yourself.”
The leaflet concludes its guidance with the reminder that “the best defence of Great Britain is the courage of her men and women.” Its printer’s imprint includes “6/40” and a quantity of 14,300,000.
The other eight items comprise:
Three period postcards depicting Churchill seated at a desk, with a Dutch caption identifying him as prime minister of Great Britain; standing with a cane, captioned “The Prime Minister Faces Facts”; and wearing a helmet and looking through binoculars, captioned “Mr. Winston Churchill in the Battle Line.” The seated portrait bears Raphael Tuck & Sons publishing information. The other two were published by Photochrom Co., Ltd., London and Tunbridge Wells, “by permission of the Prime Minister.” All three have unused correspondence and address fields.
Red tag with a reinforced hole and attached string, printed “The Rt. Hon. Winston S. Churchill, O.M., C.H., M.P.,” with a large black “C” on the reverse and faint handwritten notations on the front.
Compliments slip bearing the prime minister’s crest, a handwritten recipient notation, and the typed message: “With Mr. Churchill’s Compliments. A souvenir of Athens, Christmas, 1944.”
Glossy 6.5 x 8.5 photograph of Churchill standing with Dwight D. Eisenhower, bearing an Imperial War Museum copyright and reproduction stamp on the reverse, with handwritten reference numbers.
Glossy 7 x 10 press photograph of Churchill inspecting bomb damage and craters, with a September 11, 1940 date stamp, an attached typed caption, and handwritten cropping instructions on the reverse. The caption describes damage caused by “last night’s raid” and records cries from the accompanying crowd: “Are we downhearted?” “No.”
Large color 45.5 x 35 poster map titled “Dunkirk to Berlin, June, 1940–July, 1945,” documenting journeys undertaken by Churchill “In Defence of the British Commonwealth and Empire.” Printed and published by George Philip & Son, Ltd., 32 Fleet Street, London, in association with ‘Time & Tide,’ the map charts numbered routes across North America, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. A detailed itinerary identifies destinations, conferences, dates, and transportation, with illustrations of the ships and aircraft used.
In overall very good to fine condition, with scattered creasing to the wire photo, tag, and slip, and a tear to the top edge of the poster.
