British Propaganda to France, 1940—1944 Machinery, Method and Message
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British Propaganda to France, 1940—1944 Machinery, Method and Message Annexe One White Propaganda Leaflets Part V: Evidence Material received from France concerning leaflets Tim Brooks © Timothy William Brooks, 2007 2 PART V: EVIDENCE Part V: Evidence Material received from France concerning leaflets 1940 Amiens (Somme) (concerning November 1940) Copy of F.34 (1940) found beside the Somme Canal in Amiens in November 1940. Held by the Musée de la résistance et de la déportation, La Citadelle, 25000 Besançon, France, inventory number 973.238.45. 1941 Bordeaux (Gironde) (evidence dated after 26.12.1940 and received by 30.1.1941). Refers to a suggestion by a Bordelais that next time the town is bombed leaflets should be dropped apologising for the fact. Start date arrived at using M. Middlebrook, & C. Everitt, The Bomber Command War Diaries: An Operational Reference Book 19391945 [henceforth BCWD], Leicester, Midland Publishing, 1996, p.113. Regional Leaflet Committee, Minutes, 30.1.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/428. St.JulienenGenevois (Haute Savoie) (dated 30.1.1941). Refers to copying and distributing RAF propaganda leaflets. ‘Leaflet Raids – the power of the written word,’ excerpted from ‘French public opinion and RAF raids,’ European Intelligence Papers Series 2 No. 10, [henceforth ‘Leaflet Raids’], 6.10.1942, NA: PRO FO 898/469 and BBC Written Archives Centre [BBC WAC] E2/188/2. Le Havre (SeineInferieure) (Letter from Le Havre to Switzerland, dated 21.3.1941) Refers to La France Libre and Courrier de l'Air as aerial leaflets, indicating that the last leaflet received was F.50/5 (1941) Courrier de l'Air. Leaflets usually received about 10.30 p.m. and are spread over several kilometres. Progress Report for Week Ending 23.5.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. ArgentonsurCreuse (Indre) (Postcard dated 18.4.1941) Sends thanks for the Courrier de l'Air, which is described as ‘encouraging.’ Progress Report for Week Ending 13.6.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. France (evidence received before 19.4.1941) An informant indicated that leaflets were becoming increasingly important as jamming intensified, but that those who collected them refused to circulate them, keeping them as souvenirs. Information received from the British Legation at Berne. Progress Report for Week Ending 19.4.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. Dordogne (concerning April or May 1941). ‘After bombing Mérignac, the RAF planes dropped leaflets over the Dordogne. I need not tell you how the good people picked them up and how delighted they were with them. Unfortunately there were not enough. Why don’t you have leaflets dropped more often? It would raise our spirits which, you may know, are badly shaken by the Press and Radio.’ Date arrived at using BCWD, pp.143144 and p.155. Propaganda Leaflets, July 1941, NA: PRO AIR 20/4865 3 BRITISH PROPAGANDA TO FRANCE, 1940—1944: ANNEXE ONE Occupied France (source dated 13.6.1941) Indicates that instructions that leaflets are to be handed over, issued by town criers and the Mairies, are ignored. ‘Leaflet Raids’, 6.10.1942, NA: PRO FO 898/469. Paris (Seine) (Letter dated 18.6.1941) ‘Send us more leaflets, more and more leaflets. Those which you sent us on the speech and proclamation of President Roosevelt had a great success: the Mayor ordered them to be handed over to the Police, but noone did so: they are passed from hand to hand and carefully kept.’ Probably refers to F.95 (1941) America abandons paths of peace. Notes on Evidence of Reception for week ending 26.9.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/463; ‘Leaflet Raids’, 6.10.1942, NA: PRO FO 898/469. Paris (Seine) (Letter dated 23.6.1941) Refers to the ‘cheering value’ of F.84 (1941) 1 st May. Progress Report, week ending 22.8.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. Paris (Seine) (Message dated 27.6.1941) Refers to a tract dated 12.6.1941 containing a photograph of M. Dejean and Professor Cassin, and to a tract dated 20.6.1941 with French flag, Probably refers to F.50/11 and F.50/12, both Courrier de l'Air. Notes on Reception for the week ending 17.10.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/463. Brittany (Letter, received before July 1941) ‘But we are a little disappointed at the scarcity of leaflets. Tell our English friends that a little word of sympathy would cheer us up now and then.’ Propaganda Leaflets, July 1941, NA: PRO AIR 20/4865. Occupied France (concerning the period before July 1941) ‘The pamphlet raids are very popular and the leaflets are wellcirculated.’ From a Frenchwoman who had just escaped from Occupied France. Propaganda Leaflets, July 1941, NA: PRO AIR 20/4865. Occupied France (Report concerning the end of March to the beginning of July 1941) ‘About 99% of tracts dropped by the RAF over France have not served any useful purpose. They are usually dropped in packets in the fields and are used in most cases as kindling by the peasants.’ From ‘an educated Frenchman’ who was travelling extensively in Occupied France from the end of March to the beginning of July. Sutton to Brooks, 4.8.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/444. Repeated attributed to a secret source, and dated June 1941, in Progress Report, week ending 8.8.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. Paris (Seine) (Report concerning the end of March to the beginning of July 1941) ‘Many Parisians who have been approached on the subject of British propaganda, say that they are terribly disappointed not to see the RAF over Paris more often. They point out that Paris is an ideal spot to drop leaflets. It is quite certain that intelligent propaganda material would be circulated all over France in no time. It must be borne in mind that a lot of antiGerman 4 PART V: EVIDENCE propaganda leaflets are already being distributed by students, and if British propaganda is to do any good it must not be of inferior standard.’ From ‘an educated Frenchman’ who was travelling extensively in Occupied France from the end of March to the beginning of July. Sutton to Brooks, 4.8.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/444. Repeated, attributed to a ‘secret source’ and dated, Progress Report, week ending 8.8.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. France (Report from Lisbon, dated July 1941). Refers to the views of American journalists that, although the Courrier de l'Air was highly thought of, it was not circulated in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of the French population. Progress Report, week ending 1.8.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. France (A ‘secret report’ dated July 1941) Indicates that the Courrier de l'Air is popular and has high propaganda value, and asks for an increase in quantity disseminated. Progress Report, week ending 8.8.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. Occupied France (Report dated 4.7.1941). ‘Complaints are heard everywhere in Occupied France that the Courrier de l'Air, which is printed in London and dropped by the RAF, is not dropped in large enough quantities to meet the universal demand of the French public. The unanimous verdict is that this publication tells the French people exactly what they want to know.’ Pamphlet, RAF Against Goebbels, p.11, NA: PRO AIR 14/604. Montpellier (Hérault) (Letter dated 5.7.1941) ‘Tell the RAF that we have picked up quantities of tracts thrown down to us by them. They were all over the place, in the park, in the vineyards, and in the fields.’ Annotated comment: ‘this must refer to an ‘M’ unit distribution.’ Notes on Reception, week ending 10.10.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/463. Paris (Seine) (Interview report, 14.7.1941). ‘We receive in Paris, or at least in the suburbs of the capital, your leaflet Le Courrier de l'Air. You can imagine the effect it makes [sic] on us to see that our English friends do not forget us. What joy it gives us to read a French text, really French.’ Interview with a woman who had recently arrived from Paris. Notes on Reception for the week ending 17.10.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/463. Paris (Seine) (Message sent via the British Legation at Berne, 16.7.1941) Indicates that the Courrier de l'Air was much appreciated, to the point where people would fight for it; and that more copies should be dropped, especially over Paris where the RAF had not yet been. Progress Report, week ending 18.7.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50. Fontainebleau (SeineetOise) (Report concerning the period before August 1941). ‘Our leaflets are very well done. He spoke strongly about the effect of these and particularly referred to the occasion of Roosevelt’s speech. They knew 5 BRITISH PROPAGANDA TO FRANCE, 1940—1944: ANNEXE ONE nothing of this speech in Paris and the leaflets were the first intimation, but they were not dropped on Paris but on Fontainebleau. In spite of the risk of being shot, if found with a leaflet, people read them while taking them to the police, and pass on the news. If seen being dropped, whole battalions of mobile police set out to collect them almost before they have reached the ground.’ Evidence from a businessman who left Paris at the beginning of August 1941. The leaflet referred to is probably F.95 (1941) America abandons paths of peace. PWE Progress Report, week ending 1.11.1941, NA: PRO FO 898/50 and BBC WAC E2/488. Paris (Seine) (source dated August 1941) Indicates that pamphlets dropped at night were often ‘picked up by the Police before the population is out of bed in the morning.’ ‘Leaflet Raids’, 6.10.1942, NA: PRO FO 898/469.