My Grandfather's Collection of Wartime Cartoons

[Haversack]

Awareness of the possibility of an alliance between Japan and Germany, (along with Italy), predates the war's outbreak in 1939. The first cartoon here is from April-May of 1939. Beck is Jozef Beck, the Polish foreign minister. After unsuccessfully trying to play Germany and Russia off against each other, he formed the alliance with Britain and France that brought them into the war when Poland was invaded by Germany and Russia.

With the US's entry into the war, the alliance between Germany and Japan gets increasing attention.

 

[Haversack]

The next three here concern the war in Asia with particular attention to Japan's aims in India. The first one refers to the song, The Road to Mandalay.

 

[Haversack]

Here we are back again.

Reference the RAF's night-bombing campaign of German Cities.


As most of the rest of the cartoons in this collection are after Pearl Harbor, Japan is increasingly the subject.

 

[Haversack]

With the news eighty years ago about the Germany-Japan alliance shaping up, here are a few reflecting that event.

 

[Ticklishchap]

All Right. This next couple lots are from 1939 to 1941 (pre-Barbarossa) and concern the division of Poland. Tomorrow's will be from the same time and will concern the uneasy alliance between Germany and Russia, (with Italy putting its oar in as well).
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I’m sure there was a song from the era (possibly Western Bros) with a reference to ‘laying Lino down the Polish Corridor’. I’ll check this and report back.

 

[Ticklishchap]

As promised, chaps. The link below should work: Western Brothers, 'Keeping Up the Old Traditions', around 4mins 12 seconds through the clip, which lasts around 9 mins. The Polish Corridor reference is towards the end. If any of you don't understand the more obscure late '30s British references, please feel free to ask or PM me.