At times you don't know what you say Accession Number: ARTV05974

Description

Australian propaganda posters during the Second World War were used to instil anti-Japanese attitudes. Using racial stereotypes and derogatory humour the posters harboured fear and caution amongst Australian society. Original drawing for an Australian Second World War poster warning servicemen against careless talk about military operations. A Japanese spy listens from behind a wall to a conversation between two Australian soldiers. This drawing may or may not have been published as a poster.

A small non-coloured copy of this poster was produced with the caption "It may mean the sinking of a ship!"; suggesting that the caption "It may mean the sinking of a sink!" was an error by artist Tony Rafty.

Cartoonist Tony Rafty enlisted with the Commonwealth Military Forces on 29 December 1941, and was transferred to the Australian Infantry Forces six months later. In early 1943 while recovering at a hospital in Darwin, Rafty's drawings were noticed by the Director General of Medical Services and he was brought to the attention of Lieutenant Colonel Treloar. He was later transferred to the Military History Section in Melbourne to begin work as an official cartoonist. This poster is most likely part of his commission for the Military History Section. Rafty has become a prolific Australian cartoonist and in 1990 he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for Cartooning in the media.

Details

Accession Number
ARTV05974
Classification
Art
Object Type
Poster
Measurement
Sheet: 76.3 x 55.6 cm
Medium
paint, pencil on paper
Date Made
1943
Place Made
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Credit Line
Acquired c.1944
Copyright
AWM Licensed copyright

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Last modified: 2 December 2025 - 3.50 am